Portret van H.W. Mouton als baby 1877 - 1950

Barbara Elisabeth van Houten made this etching of H.W. Mouton as a baby, and the beautiful thing about etchings is you can really see the hand of the artist at work. There's such a loving observation of the baby's form in the squiggles that make up the dress. The lines build the form, create the shadows, and define the texture of the fabric. Look at the way she uses hatching to model the face, it’s quite beautiful! It almost feels like she’s caressing the plate with her needle. The density of the lines makes it feel really intimate. I can't help but think of Paula Modersohn-Becker's etchings of children. There's a similar intensity of line and a real tenderness in the observation. Ultimately it feels like the essence of art is this exchange of ideas, artists responding to each other across time.