Vieux canal (Old Canal) 1926

Jules de Bruycker’s “Vieux canal” is an etching, so the image comes into being through the controlled bite of acid into a metal plate. I try to imagine De Bruycker bending over the plate, his hand moving with precision to create those labyrinthine lines, digging into the metal with a drypoint needle. The image is a dark, almost gothic cityscape, a jumble of buildings reflected in the murky water. Those dark and deep blacks are really working - it's a nocturne, moody and textural. I wonder if he was thinking of Piranesi, who was similarly obsessed with architecture and its potential for expression. Look at the way the lines build up, creating a sense of depth and density. The cross-hatching feels obsessive, almost compulsive, as though De Bruycker was determined to capture every detail of this urban landscape. Artists are always in conversation, riffing off each other, taking cues from the past while pushing toward something new, something all their own. And here we are now, looking and interpreting and continuing the conversation.