IJsruimen op de Amstel 1913 - 1940

Bernard Eilers made this photogravure of a winter scene on the Amstel River with boats and figures. The tonal range here is quite lovely, it's a really limited palette of greys and whites, which pushes the focus onto the composition. Looking at the surface, the image has this grainy texture, like a really old photograph, giving a sense of depth and age. There's a beautiful mist or smoke effect in the upper section of the work, obscuring the buildings in the background, which suggests a fleeting moment in time. I love how the artist has used the tonal range to differentiate the foreground from the background, creating a very evocative sense of space and scale. Eilers' work has this amazing quality that brings to mind the atmospheric etchings of Whistler; both artists were masters of capturing the subtleties of light and atmosphere in their respective mediums. Ultimately, this artwork is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation across time and place.