Twee orchideeën en een kar op het strand 1867 - 1935

Maurits van der Valk created this etching, ‘Two Orchids and a Cart on the Beach,’ at an unknown date using an etching technique. I can imagine van der Valk standing on the beach with a copper plate, his eyes darting between the orchids, the cart, and the plate, trying to capture the essence of what he sees. He etches the plate, line by line, with a needle, maybe wiping it down occasionally, adding more lines, and then dipping it in acid. What was he thinking as he made it? The orchids take center stage, their delicate forms rendered with such care, while the beach cart becomes an afterthought, tucked away into the background. It reminds me a little of Odilon Redon, but with a Dutch sensibility. I love the quietness of this print. It invites you to linger, to contemplate the beauty of the natural world, and how we translate it into art. It reminds me that as artists, we're all in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time, inspiring each other.