Stoel met biezen zitting 1914

This is Jan Mankes' etching, 'Stoel met biezen zitting' - or 'Chair with rush seat'. There’s a quietness, a stillness, in the way Mankes uses line. It’s all so patiently observed, so deliberately placed. Look at the hatched marks building up the tone, like a whispered secret, describing the worn texture of the rush seat. Each line feels considered, a testament to the slow, meditative process of artmaking. The etched line is delicate but firm, capturing not just the appearance of the chair, but its very essence. Notice how the lines vary in weight, creating subtle tonal shifts that give the image depth and volume. The chair feels solid and grounded, even in its simplicity. Mankes reminds me of Vilhelm Hammershøi, both had this knack for finding beauty in the everyday, the mundane. What lingers with me is that quiet observation, the attention to detail, and that reverence for the ordinary.