Oorlogsslachtoffers liggend op een helling 1914 - 1930

Henri de Groux made this print, Oorlogsslachtoffers liggend op een helling, using etching, and it's all about the push and pull of dark and light. It’s a scene of fallen soldiers, and the way he uses the etching needle is so raw, you can almost feel the scratch of the tool against the plate, like a physical manifestation of grief. Look at the sky. It's not just dark, it's a mess of tiny, frantic lines. It’s like the artist couldn’t decide what to do and just kept going, which, let's be honest, is how a lot of art gets made. It's a frenzy of emotion, and it pulls you right in. You can feel the weight of the bodies, the coldness of the stone, the absolute finality of the scene. Thinking about other artists who grapple with big themes and messy lines, someone like Käthe Kollwitz comes to mind. She also wasn't afraid to dig deep and get her hands dirty with difficult subjects. It's not about answers; it's about the questions.