Vervallen huis 1833 - 1890

This is "Vervallen Huis," or "Derelict House," an etching made by Eberhard Cornelis Rahms. The image is a close study of a humble dwelling, likely somewhere in the Dutch countryside. The textures are carefully rendered; the thatched roof seems almost palpable. But the dominant element here is the tree, which looms over the house, its trunk heavily shadowed. Etching is an intaglio printmaking technique, where lines are incised into a metal plate using acid. It is a process demanding patience and precision, a world away from the scene depicted. Rahms chose etching to represent a scene of rural decay. Through labor-intensive mark-making, we are invited to reflect on the relationship between humans and their environment, and between the value we assign to labor and the inevitable forces of entropy. The dilapidated structure, the tree which dwarfs it, and the technique with which it was made combine, forcing the viewer to consider the social and economic issues of the time, as well as the place of craft within it.