Vierde kruiswegstatie 1931

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this piece, "Vierde kruiswegstatie," a small etching, which lives at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes me first is the almost vibrating effect of the hatching and cross-hatching, a controlled chaos that builds up the tonal range. I want to zoom in on Mary’s cloak, the gradations of dark and light that give it shape, created by the layering of tiny lines. It's like a topography of grief, each stroke a small mark of sorrow. The physicality of the medium is so present here, it’s almost possible to imagine the artist’s hand moving across the plate, the pressure and release of the tool. Thinking about the expressive potential of the etched line reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who knew how to make black and white sing with emotion. Art is so beautiful when one can see the hand of the artist.