Zonlicht voor een boerderij 1887 - 1952

This print, *Zonlicht voor een boerderij* – or Sunlight for a Farmhouse – by Chris van der Windt is an amazing example of mark-making. Look how, using a range of etched lines, the artist conjures up a world of shadow and light. I can imagine van der Windt outside, squinting in the sun, trying to capture the effect of the light as it dapples the scene, bringing it all into being on the plate, and then the paper. See how he varies the marks – sometimes dense and scratchy, sometimes lighter and more delicate – to create different textures and tones. The tree looms over the scene; its branches and leaves rendered with a flurry of lines, while the wall of the farmhouse is more solid, a contrast of shadow and light defining its form. The scene almost disappears into a world of tone, but somehow, this just makes you want to look closer. What a feat.