Auxerre 1933

This etching of Auxerre by Willem Adrianus Grondhout captures a moment in time with a flurry of marks. You can almost imagine him outside, squinting in the sun, and trying to capture the light as it shifted on this amazing old archway. I’m struck by how he used the etching needle to create a variety of textures, from the rough stone of the arch to the soft shadows in the street. It's a scene from everyday life, but it’s rendered with such care and attention. I think Grondhout was thinking about the weight of history, and how it presses down on us even in the most ordinary moments. It reminds me a bit of Piranesi’s etchings of Rome, but with a more intimate, personal touch. The etched line has this amazing potential to describe light and volume, and also feeling. There’s something so direct and honest about etching. It's like a conversation with the past, and with all the other artists who have tried to capture the world around them.