Water in bos 1918

Simon Moulijn made this lithograph titled ‘Water in bos’ without a specified date, and it's just gorgeous! You know, it’s all about the mark-making here; that soft, powdery feel only lithography can give. Look how Moulijn uses tone to create depth, those misty grays give a real sense of atmosphere. It’s almost monochromatic, but within that limited palette there is a huge variety in texture. See how the reflection in the water is solid, dense, and still, while the trees are suggested with these short, nervous scribbles. It’s like he's teasing out the details from a half-remembered dream. You know what this makes me think of? Whistler’s nocturnes, with that same kind of ghostly, tonal abstraction. And like Whistler, Moulijn seems to be more interested in mood than detail. This piece proves that art doesn't always need to shout, sometimes the quietest voices have the most to say.