Zonlicht voor een boerderij 1887 - 1952

Chris van der Windt made this etching, Zonlicht voor een boerderij, or Sunlight for a Farmhouse, with ink on paper. The image is an exploration of seeing. The first thing that strikes me is the interplay between light and shadow, achieved through a network of fine lines. It’s like a dance of marks, each one carefully placed to suggest depth and texture. The way the light falls on the side of the farmhouse, creating these stark contrasts, makes it seem almost alive. The texture of the wall is also wonderful, the artist has really captured that rough, weathered quality. Look at the way the lines create the foliage of the tree! It's so expressive, almost like scribbles, but they all come together to form this lush canopy. There is a sense of looking at something familiar in a new way, which feels very true to the spirit of art. It reminds me a little of Piranesi, who made those amazing architectural prints of Rome. There’s a similar sense of atmosphere, of capturing a place and a mood through the sheer force of mark-making.