Gezicht op steiger en huizen in de haven van Enkhuizen 1912

Editor: This print, "View of a Jetty and Houses in the Port of Enkhuizen," made by George Marinus Tamson in 1912, really draws me in. There’s almost a serene quality to it despite the stark black and white contrasts. It feels… deliberate. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Deliberate is a great word for it! The artist meticulously details the harbour. For me, it’s an intimate portrait of a specific place at a specific moment. Can you imagine standing on that pier, feeling the slightly salty breeze? But there's also a stillness here, don’t you think? Editor: Yes, a definite stillness. It feels like a quiet observation, almost meditative. Is that something typical of landscape etchings from that period? Curator: Interesting thought. There was definitely a vogue for capturing the 'spirit of place' then, a desire to connect with and understand the landscape, especially as industrialisation changed things. The geometric elements stand out against the more fluid depictions of nature, which speaks to modern approaches of that time. This interest in a formal structural approach feels somehow at odds and perfectly at peace with nature. How about you, did your feelings change by focusing in? Editor: It has, actually. Seeing that tension, that delicate balance between geometry and nature…it makes it feel a lot more dynamic. Curator: Absolutely! I think we've found a secret ingredient there, then. A landscape portrait and a symbol.