Straatgezicht in Rotterdam 1938

Johan Hendrik van Mastenbroek made this street scene in Rotterdam with etching and drypoint. Look at those marks, those tiny, flickering, incredibly light touches to the plate that create this quiet evocation of the city. I think Mastenbroek loved the idea of making an etching, of working with the burr and the acid. You can see the way the light seems to reflect off the wet street. See how he’s used the drypoint to create those soft, velvety blacks? Imagine him walking around Rotterdam, looking at the light, and then going back to his studio to try and capture it all on a plate. I wonder if he ever felt like he succeeded? I imagine he probably didn't, artists rarely do! I can almost feel his hand moving across the plate, feeling the resistance of the metal, coaxing the image into being. He’s in conversation with other printmakers like Whistler and Haden, but with his own distinct voice. Each mark holds an intention, an observation, a feeling. It's a beautiful conversation across time.