Boerderij bij Voorburg 1888 - 1934

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this etching of a farm near Voorburg with ink on paper. He wasn’t trying to capture a perfect likeness; this feels more like he was thinking through the subject with the tools at hand. You can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the plate in the lines he uses to describe the wall. They're hatched together, one crossing over another, like thoughts building on top of each other. The darkest darks are in the doorways, luring the eye into the scene. Look at the roof. See how he uses these quick, glancing marks to suggest the texture of the tiles? It’s like he’s inviting you to complete the picture in your own mind, to participate in the act of seeing. Think of other artists like James Ensor who had a similar interest in architecture and the landscape. Art isn't about answers, it’s about how we ask questions, and how we keep the conversation going.