Autour le Chateau des Comtes de Flandre Gand 1913

Jules de Bruycker made this etching, Autour le Chateau des Comtes de Flandre Gand, sometime in his lifetime, probably using a needle, acid, and a lot of focused labor. I can only imagine de Bruycker bent over the plate, scratching the metal, lost in the darks and lights of this castle scene. It's as if he's not just depicting a place, but conjuring a whole mood, something gothic and looming. The marks feel so intentional and raw, like he’s digging into the very surface of the world. There's something almost obsessive about the level of detail. And what about that theatrical figure? It looks like a performer shouting. It reminds me of Goya’s etchings, these strange social scenes. I think about the tradition of printmaking, how it allows for a kind of democratic distribution of images. Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time. I hope people are still looking at my paintings in 100 years!