Auxerre 1933

This etching, Auxerre, was made by Willem Adrianus Grondhout, though the date remains unknown, and it feels like an intimate encounter with a French town through delicate lines. The limited tonal range directs our attention to the process of mark-making and that’s where the magic lies. The surface is alive with activity. See how Grondhout coaxes depth and texture from a network of fine lines? Look closely at the stonework of the arch, and you begin to see how the density of the cross-hatching creates shadows and a sense of volume. There is a gestural quality to the depiction of the figure in the foreground – a single stroke becomes a fold of fabric, another suggests a posture. This work recalls the urban landscapes of Whistler, which share an attention to atmospheric effects and a similar, almost muted palette. I like that neither Grondhout, nor Whistler, felt the need to be tied down by definitive meanings.