Het naaistertje 1890 - 1930

Philip Zilcken made this etching, called ‘Het naaistertje’, which means ‘The little seamstress’ in Dutch, sometime between 1870 and 1930. Look how he’s used a monochrome palette to create a work that feels really intimate, really immediate. The texture here is so important. Zilcken’s mark-making is loose and expressive, with visible hatching to build up tone, which gives the work a real sense of depth. The way the light falls across the seamstress’s face, and how the details are smudged in the background, creates an atmosphere that's both focused and dreamy. The needle and thread she's using are just a few tiny white marks, but they pull your eye into the very centre of the picture. You might see some similarities with the work of artists like Whistler, who were also interested in capturing everyday moments. But in the end, it is the process of stitching that brings this image to life.