Torvet ved St. Knuds kirke i Odense. Aften 1901

Hans Julius Fæster made this print of the square by St. Knud's Church in Odense. It’s night, you can tell that from the deep darks that define the scene. I can imagine Fæster outside at night working on his plate. The architecture looms, grand and imposing. It’s a building with a face. But look closer; the sky and ground are equally worked, a frenzy of tiny marks, like static. You can feel the air, crisp and cold, as Fæster scratches away. There is an attentiveness to the quality of light, the way it illuminates the architecture and bounces off the ground, giving the image a remarkable sense of depth and texture. He is not trying to create an exact copy of the world but something evocative. It reminds me of Piranesi's etchings of Rome, but more intimate, quieter. Like other artists, Fæster is building on the work of those who came before, reimagining how we see and experience the world through the language of mark-making.