Molen aan het water 1867 - 1935

Maurits van der Valk made this etching, Molen aan het water, which translates as Mill on the Water, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The piece has a sketch-like quality, the etching marks feel tentative and searching, like the artist is trying to feel their way into the scene. The texture is amazing, especially the thatched roof – the lines are so close together, they create a kind of furry effect. Then you have the reflections in the water, these are a series of broken lines. It's like the artist is asking, what is the bare minimum of information needed to describe a thing? Look at the foreground, the way the artist has rendered the foliage, the marks are incredibly loose, almost like scribbles. This reminds me of the work of James Ensor, he had a similar way of using line to create a sense of movement and chaos. But where Ensor was all about the grotesque, Van der Valk is much more restrained, he has a quiet and contemplative quality. Ultimately it’s a conversation between artists, each pushing the boundaries of what etching can do.