Molen aan het water bij Leiden 1888 - 1931

Willem Adrianus Grondhout created this etching, "Molen aan het water bij Leiden," sometime between 1900 and 1934. What I love about etching is how immediate and physical it is, like drawing directly onto a metal plate. Look closely at the lines defining the windmill – see how they vary in thickness and direction? It's almost like Grondhout is building the structure before our eyes, one mark at a time. The shadows aren't just filled in; they're built up with layer upon layer of tiny strokes. Notice the cross-hatching on the main structure of the mill. It's dense and dark, giving it a real sense of weight and presence. Grondhout reminds me of Whistler, or maybe even Piranesi. All three had a similar sense of capturing the mood and atmosphere of a place, not just its physical appearance. Etching, like painting, becomes a way of thinking, of making sense of the world through mark-making.