Jesuskirken 1891 - 1950

Johannes Groth created this print of Jesuskirken with ink on paper, though we don't know exactly when. The ink moves so freely; it’s all about the making, the process of layering and scratching, to build up form. The texture is incredible, so delicate, particularly in the sky where the clouds are suggested through subtle variations in tone. The bare branches of the tree are another great moment. Their spidery network reaches across the composition, playing with the solid architecture of the church behind. Look closely, and you can almost feel the burr of the etching on the paper, it's so present. Groth reminds me a little of Whistler, in the way he uses a limited palette and a sense of atmosphere to create such a powerful image. But Groth’s rawness is all his own. It's a beautiful example of how art embraces ambiguity and the multiple ways we can see the world.