Twee meisjes in bruidskleding 1872 - 1950

Barbara Elisabeth van Houten made this etching, Two Girls in Bridal Dress, with ink on paper. The lines are so delicate, like whispers on the surface. See how van Houten uses hatching to build up the forms, letting the white of the paper shine through? It’s a process of revealing, not just depicting. Up close, you can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the plate. The texture is so immediate, so tactile. Look at the way she renders the dresses, with these gossamer lines that give them a sense of volume, yet also fade into the background. It’s like she’s capturing a fleeting moment, a memory half-formed. Then consider the child's face, so direct, so solemn and solid. It’s a contrast that keeps you looking, wondering. This reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, not in style, but in the way she could find such tenderness and vulnerability in the everyday. Art is a conversation, right? And Van Houten speaks so softly, yet with such conviction.