Kastanje 1922

Henri Braakensiek made this print, Kastanje, around 1922, with a simple set of materials. Looking at the marks, I can imagine the artist gently coaxing out the image with layers of ink. It's a scene that emerges from the dark blue ground, like a memory half-recalled. I can imagine Henri, standing before the chestnut tree, trying to capture the very essence of the thing in front of him. See how the dark blues create depth, while the greens and whites highlight the natural form, like a secret code. The leaves feel alive, like a symphony of colour. And the texture, oh, you can almost feel the slight grain of the paper under your fingertips, and that adds another layer, an invitation to touch. Henri Braakensiek, like all artists, was in conversation with those before him, and paving the way for those to come. Like an echo through time. But the beauty of art is that it resists being pinned down, it embraces ambiguity, and that's what makes it so darn interesting, don't you think?