Heuvel in Rome 1873 - 1931

This etching on paper, Heuvel in Rome, was made by Etienne Bosch in the early 20th century. Look at the subtle lines, etched into the paper, defining form and space. It must have been so quiet to make this, a slow and deliberate process. I can imagine Bosch sitting on a hillside, the warm Roman sun on his back, methodically scratching away with his etching needle. He is recording what he sees, but there is a stillness in the image, almost as if the world has paused to let him capture it. The scene before him would have been so different to the final print, the labour of love, the subtle gradations, the final image slowly revealed. The tone is warm and inviting, the details rich, the city a distant hazy dream. The eye is lead to the steeple in the distance and back again. It's a lovely, tender homage to a beautiful place.