Fantasie 1922

Henri Braakensiek’s Fantasie is an etching of uncertain date, made on a plate measuring roughly 20 by 25 cm. The bare figures seem to climb over each other, caught in a moment of surprise. I wonder what Braakensiek was thinking about when he made this? Was he feeling trapped by history? The artist's hand is so present in each of those lines. See how Braakensiek uses a network of close-knit lines to describe the figures? It's as if the composition is in the process of discovering itself! The figures appear agitated, with one raising his arms upwards in a call for help. The network of fine lines against the bare ground suggests a sense of depth and creates a ghostly effect. Like so many artists before and after him, Braakensiek grapples with form, space, and the human figure to generate new ways of seeing and thinking about our world. Art making is a process that keeps evolving, as artists continually respond to each other’s ideas.