Strijktrio 1893 - 1921

Harrie Kuyten made this etching, *Strijktrio*, with ink and a plate, and, oh boy, what a moody scene. The artist sets the stage with these almost ghostly figures. Three musicians are caught in action, maybe mid-rehearsal, surrounded by shadows and the looming presence of a grand piano. The etching feels delicate, fragile even, as if the music might just fade away into the silence. You can almost hear the scratch of the bow against the strings. I wonder if Kuyten was thinking about the connections between different art forms, the harmony between visual art and music. Maybe he saw the creation of a print like conducting an orchestra, each line and tone carefully placed to create a rich, complex composition. Artists are always riffing off each other like that, you know? It is a beautiful way to work through ideas.