Sint Annendwarsstraat 1890 - 1935

This black and white etching of Sint Annendwarsstraat was made by Johannes Josseaud. I can imagine Josseaud outside, breathing in the air and etching the urban landscape in real-time. He must have been standing still and patient, looking up and down the street with the tower in the background, capturing the essence of the location. I really feel for Josseaud, as he probably experienced the isolation and uncertainty that comes with being an artist. The precision of line, the way he uses dark against light to give a sense of depth, and to suggest how light falls on the buildings gives you a sense of being right there, on the streets. Artists, whether they know it or not, are always in conversation with one another, finding new ways of thinking about space. Painting isn’t just about how something looks, but about offering a whole way of seeing, thinking and experiencing the world.