Oudemanhuispoort in Amsterdam 1926

This is Frederik van der Harst’s print of the Oudemanhuispoort in Amsterdam, a flurry of hatching and cross-hatching across the surface. The process of art-making, for me, is about embracing the unpredictable, and I get the sense Van der Harst feels similarly. Look at the area above the archway, see how the lines tangle and build to suggest a canopy of bare winter branches? Each stroke feels deliberate, yet the overall effect is wonderfully chaotic. The texture is palpable; you can almost feel the roughness of the brick, the chill of the winter air. It’s a testament to the power of line, its capacity to evoke not just form but also atmosphere and emotion. The linear work reminds me of Piranesi, who also excelled at capturing the mood of a place through intricate details. But where Piranesi often aimed for grandeur, Van der Harst feels more intimate, more personal. It’s a reminder that art is always a conversation, an ongoing dialogue between artists and ideas.