Stilleven 4 1973

Lau Heidendael made this print, *Stilleven 4*, using etching – a process of drawing with acid on a metal plate, then inking and printing. It's all about the line, that’s where it starts. The texture is created by layering those lines, a whole mess of hatching that builds up these murky, dark shapes. Look at the lower left – how the lines are denser, thicker, almost like a shadow clinging to the surface. It gives everything this weighty, almost oppressive feel. But then there are these lighter areas, where the white paper shines through, and your eye can breathe a little. Heidendael's work reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, with his muted palette and exploration of simple forms, and the ongoing conversations artists have about the quiet, the overlooked, the beauty in the everyday. It's not about answers, it's about the questions, the looking, the feeling.