Geborgen in de ruimte before 1939

This etching titled 'Geborgen in de ruimte' by Mia Bake, presents a landscape articulated with a detailed, almost obsessive mark making, which really speaks to me as an artist. The consistent use of line and tone across the image establishes a delicate sense of texture, and brings forward the materiality of the artwork. The dense field of etched lines gives the sense of depth, the tonal variations create a rich, almost tactile surface. Look at how the lines of the grass blend with the trees in the distance. It’s as though the ground is breathing, a living, shifting plane. This sense of movement makes me think of Van Gogh’s drawings, which are similarly concerned with texture and capturing an overall atmospheric effect rather than a faithful representation of nature. Both artists remind us that looking is not just about seeing, but about feeling. The meaning is never fixed, never final, but always open to interpretation.