Brug te Chartres met kerktorens op de achtergrond 1888 - 1934

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this view of Chartres, likely with pencil, using the wooden panel itself as a kind of ground. Look how the artist allows the grain of the wood to show through the wispy depiction of the bridge, buildings, and spires. I can imagine him, maybe in a hurry, trying to get the feeling of the place down, layer upon layer. See the lines of the bridge, how they vibrate with energy? It’s like he’s feeling the weight of the stone with his pencil. Painters are always talking to each other across time, consciously or unconsciously. The way the artist uses the material qualities of the wood here reminds me of the Post-Impressionists and their interest in exposing the medium. He is part of an ongoing conversation, inspiring creativity and meaning beyond any fixed reading.