Heuvellandschap met jager 1939

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this landscape with a hunter, likely in the early 20th century, on paper. It’s an etching, so you can imagine him carefully layering strokes, building up tone through delicate marks. I wonder what it was like for Schelfhout to choose this scene? Was he actually there, feeling the earth beneath his feet, squinting at the sun? I love how the lines taper and thicken, describing form without getting bogged down in detail. It reminds me of some early modernists, like Cezanne, who were also trying to capture the essence of a place. The hunter is so small and self-contained, lost in the hugeness of nature. The bare surface and the simple lines also hint at the influence of Japanese prints, which were all the rage at the time. It’s like Schelfhout is saying, "I'm part of this conversation, too." Artists are always riffing off each other, borrowing ideas and techniques across time.