Gebouw in de Binckhorst in Den Haag 1888 - 1934

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this etching of a building in Binckhorst, The Hague, using delicate lines that scratch the surface. The texture feels both precise and kind of dreamy, like a memory half-forgotten. I imagine Grondhout, leaning over the plate, carefully drawing with a needle, building up these tiny marks. This intricate labor, this careful attention, it's almost like he's trying to hold onto the place, to fix it in time. The reflections in the water aren’t quite perfect, giving the impression of an imperfect memory. The way the trees are rendered reminds me of other landscape artists who use etching to make multiple copies of their artworks. Each print is a slightly different version, offering something new. It’s like a conversation, a dance between the artist, the medium, and the world. And we get to join in, each time we look.