Huis bij brug c. 1976

This is a print called 'Huis bij brug', or 'House by the Bridge', by Kees Stoop. The magic of printmaking is that you can make many of the same image. And it's a deeply thoughtful process. I can imagine Stoop thinking and thinking about each tiny, tiny line, and how to arrange them so they sit on the page in the best way. See how the lines in the water run horizontally and the lines in the trees are a mass of scribbles? That’s an artist controlling what your eye does, even though it feels so loose and free. The whole thing shimmers with light, doesn’t it? Stoop’s clearly part of a conversation with other artists over time. The composition makes me think of the Dutch Masters, but the mark-making feels very modern. It reminds you that artists are constantly in dialogue, inspiring each other across generations. Isn't it amazing how something so simple can communicate so much?