Winterlandschap c. 1910

This etching titled 'Winterlandschap’ by M. Curt Schmidt captures a snow-covered landscape. I can imagine Schmidt carefully preparing the metal plate, then layering it with acid-resistant wax. I picture them using a fine needle to scratch through the wax, revealing the metal beneath, like writing in reverse. Then, the acid bath! Watching it bite into the exposed lines, each stroke becoming a channel for the ink. It’s a slow, deliberate dance between control and chance. The tall trees create vertical lines that give a sense of depth, while the snow-covered ground adds texture. The tracks in the snow suggest movement, almost like a path waiting to be explored. Did Schmidt trudge this path themselves? I wonder if they were thinking about other printmakers, like Whistler, who captured the quiet beauty of nature in their own way. This print, like all art, is part of a long, ongoing conversation. We can embrace the uncertainty and find new meanings each time we look at it.