Oude huizen Cuffstreet Dublin 1967

Dirkje Kuik made this etching, "Oude huizen Cuffstreet Dublin," which translates to Old houses Cuffstreet Dublin, sometime during her career. It's all in monochrome; a symphony of grays achieved through densely packed lines. You can really feel the weight and pressure of the etching tool in each mark. Look closely, and you can see how the artist builds up the image layer by layer, almost like constructing the buildings themselves. The lines aren't just outlines; they're the guts of the buildings, the textures, the shadows. I love how the facade looks like it is breathing. There is a real sense of depth and atmosphere, like you could walk right into this Dublin street. Kuik reminds me a little of Piranesi, with his architectural fantasies, but there's also a sensitivity to the everyday, a feeling for the lived-in quality of these buildings. It feels less like a grand statement and more like a quiet observation, a conversation with the city itself.