Lommerijk bos c. 1970 - 1975

Kees Stoop made this print, Lommerijk bos, using etching. Stoop’s work is interesting to consider within a Dutch artistic tradition that increasingly focused on abstraction and experimentation in the post-war period. One could look at Stoop’s work as somewhat conservative, given the subject matter and the technique. However, there is something radical in his dedication to traditional printmaking. The social conditions that shape artistic production are often complex and contradictory. Stoop, who died in 2019, also has several works that belong to museums, so it is clear that institutions have an impact on how art is viewed and studied. To gain a deeper insight into his work, it’s useful to explore not just his biography, but also the exhibition histories and the collections to which he belongs. Examining such sources can offer a more nuanced understanding of art within its socio-cultural context.