Avondlicht 1934

This etching, "Avondlicht", was made by Mia Bake around 1926. She made the image through a printmaking process, etching, which is fascinating because it's all about this give and take between control and accident. The marks that make up the image are like little whispers, soft and subtle, creating this hazy, dreamy landscape. You can almost feel the cool evening air. Look at how the trees are rendered, each one a unique character bending in the wind, with a distinct personality. Bake’s world is full of quiet beauty. It reminds me a bit of Whistler's nocturnes, with that same sense of atmospheric depth and tonal harmony. Both artists remind us that art isn't just about capturing reality, but about creating a mood, an experience, a feeling. It's the art of suggestion, of letting the viewer fill in the blanks and find their own story within the image.