Kale bomen 1987

Kees Stoop made this etching, Kale Bomen, or Cabbage Trees, with ink on paper. I think about Stoop in his studio, working the plate, wiping away the excess ink. It's a monochromatic landscape, full of quiet marks. It's not splashy, but it's got a nice vibe. Those trees in the background! There's something really nice about the contrast between the mass of the trees and the field that almost looks like long grass. It's as though Stoop is really thinking about how to use line to suggest the movement of the wind. Etching has this quality where you can almost feel the hand of the artist – the trace of the tool, the pressure, the rhythm. And you just know he's looking at other landscape prints like the work of Hercules Segers. Each artist, through their unique vision, adds their own perspective to this ongoing dialogue.