Poort te Rome 1873 - 1931

Etienne Bosch made this print, Poort te Rome, sometime between 1863 and 1933. It’s a view through an arch, and you can almost feel Bosch building up the image with his marks, like constructing a memory. The texture of the stone arch is really present. Look closely and you can see the subtle variations, like he’s caressing the surface with his tool. The contrast is muted, which softens the whole scene. It’s like looking at Rome through a haze of time. The details in the distance are impressionistic. There's a directness in Bosch’s approach, a willingness to let the medium speak. It reminds me a bit of Piranesi, who also had a thing for rendering architectural fantasies, though Bosch is definitely more understated. It’s a lovely reminder that art is always a conversation, an echo of voices across the ages.