Jonge vrouw op een steen in de branding before 1912

Léon Lowenberg made this etching of a young woman on a stone in the surf, and it feels like he was working directly from life. I love the way the light seems to shimmer across the surface of the water, and the woman seems so natural, not posed at all. When I look at this piece, I imagine Lowenberg standing on the beach, squinting into the sun, trying to capture the feeling of the moment. What was he thinking as he worked? Was he trying to capture the essence of youth and beauty, or was he simply trying to record the play of light on the water? I love the way he's captured the texture of the rocks and the way the water laps around them. And those little birds flying in the distance – they're the perfect finishing touch! It puts me in mind of other artists who were working at the time, like Whistler and Degas, all trying to capture fleeting moments of beauty and everyday life. In their own way, these artists are all in conversation with one another across time. It's like they're saying, "Hey, look at this! Isn't it beautiful?"