Berg 1915

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this black and white print called ‘Berg,’ or ‘Mountain,’ without specifying when, but it looks like a labour of love. It’s all about mark-making here, hatching and cross-hatching, building up tone and texture with these tiny, deliberate lines. Look at how the light seems to emerge from the top of the mountain, a beacon of sorts, guiding our eye down the winding path. The materiality of the printmaking process is really evident. You can almost feel the pressure of the artist’s hand as he etched each line into the plate. Notice the subtle variations in tone, the way the ink catches the light. It’s not a million miles away from Piranesi’s fantastical architectural prints, or even some of M.C. Escher’s impossible constructions. It invites us to get lost in the details, to wander through its labyrinthine streets and hidden pathways. It’s a reminder that art is not just about what we see, but how we see, and how we can use our imagination to create new worlds.