Salamander in hoog gras 1892 - 1951

Janus de Winter made this small print, *Salamander in hoog gras,* with etching. I love how the whole scene is built up from thousands of tiny, scribbly marks. It’s like looking at a pointillist painting, but in monochrome. The light and dark areas create a rich sense of depth and texture, giving you the impression that you could almost reach into the dense vegetation. The lines are finer and more closely packed at the bottom of the image, creating a sense of weight. As the eye travels upwards, the marks become more spaced out and sketch-like, giving the impression of light filtering through the high grass. And of course, the salamander itself is just a few simple lines, yet it has a distinct presence in the scene. I’m reminded of Odilon Redon's mysterious symbolist prints, which explored similar themes of nature and the imagination, albeit with a darker, more dreamlike quality. Ultimately, the beauty of art lies in its ability to evoke multiple interpretations.