Heuvellandschap 1919

Curator: This compelling landscape scene before us is “Heuvellandschap,” created in 1919 by Frits van den Berghe, rendered through the striking medium of linocut. Editor: Wow. It hits me with a wave of brooding intensity right away. That stark black and white contrast and those looming shapes suggest a landscape weighed down by something heavy. What do you think, brooding beauty or just broody? Curator: I find both broodiness and beauty. See how Van den Berghe uses the linocut medium – a relatively accessible material – to explore the weighty themes of form and nature. It’s almost primitive in its simplicity, isn't it? Yet incredibly evocative. The forms feel reduced to their absolute essence. Editor: Absolutely. He clearly isn’t interested in just replicating the natural world, and I am quite intrigued by his creative process! Linocut seems perfect for conveying this stark contrast. I imagine the labour-intensive cutting away of the material allows for a concentrated act of artmaking, of focused decision making. Each removal a carving towards distilling meaning... like revealing hidden depths. Curator: It certainly makes me think of Van den Berghe channeling anxieties of the time – right after the First World War ended in Europe. Nature itself bearing the marks, a silent witness. The way the landscape almost pulses with a sense of foreboding, yet remains grounded in earthy materials. It’s almost like witnessing a raw emotion etched onto paper. Editor: Exactly. And think about who would have access to these prints? Maybe people who weren’t usually patrons of fine art! Linocut opens artmaking – and art owning - to new classes, almost like art for the masses. It's all about how the work reaches people. Curator: A democratization of expression! That fits perfectly with Expressionism's ethos. Van den Berghe’s exploration touches us, makes us think and feel, regardless of the "who." I'm grateful this evocative landscape made its way to us today. Editor: Yes! Thinking about materiality and its capacity is my big take away! And the heavy feeling? Well, I came ready for brooding… thanks for the depth.