Middaguur 1765 - 1767

Louis Jacques Cathelin created this print, called "Middaguur," employing a combination of etching and engraving techniques. Predominantly rendered in grayscale, the composition is bisected by a horizontal axis which separates a watermill, seen on the left, from a skyline punctuated by a tower. The aesthetic power of the print emerges from its play with light and shadow. Cathelin uses stark contrasts to suggest depth and texture in the mill’s stone façade, whilst more fluid lines render movement in the stormy skies. The mill itself is anchored, its cubic form grounded in classical ideals, offering an orderly contrast to the natural elements. The scene is animated by the figures interspersed across the landscape, their placement is far from arbitrary. The arrangement of the elements destabilizes a singular narrative, inviting viewers to question whether we are witnessing a moment of pastoral calm or a disruption by an approaching storm. The enduring allure of "Middaguur" lies not just in its surface aesthetics, but in its invitation to explore these formal tensions.