Brug in Loosduinen 1888 - 1934

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this etching of a bridge in Loosduinen, using needle and acid on a metal plate. What strikes me about this little print is its humility, its modesty. The lines are not grand gestures, but tentative explorations. Look at how the lines create a sense of depth in the water under the bridge. It’s not about depicting the scene perfectly, but more about the process of trying to capture it. There’s a beauty in the way the artist allows the etching to be itself – the lines are sometimes scratchy, the tone uneven. The dark lines against the bright paper create a lovely contrast. This reminds me of other Dutch artists, like Hercules Segers, who were more interested in mood and atmosphere than in perfect representation. It feels like an honest attempt to capture a moment, with all its imperfections and ambiguities.