1887 - 1952
Huizen en kerktoren
Chris van der Windt
1877 - 1952Location
RijksmuseumListen to curator's interpretation
Curatorial notes
Chris van der Windt made this etching, "Huizen en kerktoren" or "Houses and Church Tower", with some kind of metal plate and acid, but when I look at the image, it looks like he drew it. The marks are loose and scribbly. It’s like he’s feeling his way through the scene. The etched lines create this grainy texture, and the buildings almost seem to emerge out of the ground. It’s like they’re growing there, right? See how those lines build up to create depth and shadow? There’s this one spot, the small white rectangle in the middle of the main house. What is it? Light? Maybe the door? How can nothing be so evocative! There’s a kinship here with the landscapes of Hercules Segers. Like Segers, van der Windt creates a world that feels both intimate and infinite. Art, right? It's always a conversation.