Landschap before 1935

This is Jan Bartelsman's etching titled "Landschap". Look at how the landscape is rendered through a network of finely etched lines, creating subtle tonal variations. The composition is divided into three horizontal bands of sky, land and water, each rendered with different densities of line. The use of line suggests the effects of light and atmosphere across the scene. Bartelsman employs hatching and cross-hatching to build up darker tones in the foreground vegetation, contrasting with the lighter, more diffuse marks that describe the sky and water. This technique emphasizes the textures of the natural elements, from the rough grasses to the reflective surface of the water. Bartelsman’s work reflects a broader artistic interest in capturing fleeting atmospheric conditions. His "Landschap" is not just a depiction of a place, but an exploration of the visual language and semiotics of the landscape. These marks are a deliberate attempt to destabilize a straightforward reading, prompting us to consider the constructed nature of representation itself.