Oberammergau before 1931

Etienne Bosch made this etching of Oberammergau, sometime around the turn of the century. Look at how the image is built up from so many tiny lines, like a nervous energy held within the form. This approach really speaks to the whole process of art making, where each mark is a step in an ongoing journey. The physicality of the piece is striking; you can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the plate. I'm drawn to the dense hatching on the left. It almost obscures the figures, but it also gives depth to the shadows. I think this relates to the piece as a whole, in that the surface detail obscures the underlying structure. Bosch's work reminds me a little of Whistler's etchings, in the way that he captures the atmosphere of a place with such economy of means. Ultimately, art isn’t about fixed meanings, but about opening up possibilities.