Gezicht op Rhenen met paard-en-wagens 1868 - 1937

Gert Stegeman created this tiny etching, Gezicht op Rhenen met paard-en-wagens, with ink on paper. The image feels almost like a memory, hazy and indistinct. Stegeman’s mark-making is so economical, just a few lines here and there to suggest the scene, but that’s what gives it its energy. You can really sense the artist grappling with the plate, trying to capture the light and atmosphere with such minimal means. Look at the way the tower in the background is rendered, almost dissolving into the sky. The surface has an ephemeral, unfinished quality which invites contemplation; this isn’t about perfection, it’s about process. It reminds me of Whistler’s etchings, with that same Whistlerian concern for mood and tone. It's like art becomes an ongoing exchange of ideas, across time, embracing ambiguity.