Kanaal bij de poort van Nimy 1875 - 1878

Editor: So, this is "Kanaal bij de poort van Nimy," an etching and engraving by Léon Dolez, sometime between 1875 and 1878. It feels…almost melancholic to me. A little forgotten, maybe? What strikes you about it? Curator: Forgotten...yes, that's a lovely way to put it. The scene itself has this quiet, almost eerie stillness. It's as if time itself is holding its breath. What's fascinating to me is the artist’s choice of perspective. We’re looking straight down this man-made channel, with these fortress-like walls on either side. Feels a bit like peering into a lost world, doesn’t it? Almost like a stage set waiting for a drama that never arrives. What do you think? Editor: A stage set...that's interesting. I was so focused on the dreariness that I hadn't really considered that theatrical aspect. The repetition of those little trees in the distance almost gives it a sense of forced perspective, like in a play. Curator: Exactly! It’s as if Dolez is whispering, "Look closer. What secrets does this landscape hold?" And that light! Have you noticed how it falls? A wash of soft greys… the light seems almost to emanate from the water itself. As if the water holds secrets too. Does that evoke a sensation or idea for you? Editor: Definitely the secrets part, that makes me want to know what existed where this place is now. Curator: And isn’t that the magic of art? To make us look at the mundane, at a forgotten corner of the world, and suddenly find ourselves filled with questions? Editor: I guess it is. I came in thinking "blah, old print," and now I want to research the history of Nimy and see what's there now. Curator: And that, my friend, is why we keep looking. There’s always another layer, another question, another whisper from the past just waiting to be heard.