Berglandschap 1892 - 1951

Janus de Winter made this Berglandschap, or mountain landscape, using ink on paper. I see it as a conversation between the artist and, well, the whole history of landscape painting! I wonder what De Winter was thinking as he made this print? Was he outside in the cold, or safe and warm inside his studio? I imagine him scratching away at the plate with his tools, making all those tiny marks that give the mountains their rough texture, as though they’re shivering. It makes me wonder about other artists, like Cezanne, making their own mountains. There’s something about the way the mountains are built up with quick, deliberate strokes that reminds me of the energy and movement you see in a lot of abstract painting. Every stroke seems to communicate feeling, intention, and meaning, opening up a space of imagination.