Wapens van Michiel de Ruyter, Piet Hein en Jan Pietersz. Coen. c. 1900 - 1930

This metal plate with engraved heraldic devices by G. Acronius is a world of thin lines and muted tones. Imagine the artist carefully etching into the metal, each stroke precise, building up layers to create these intricate forms. It makes me think about the history embedded in these symbols, like a conversation between past and present. I wonder about the act of creating such a piece—the focus, the patience, the steady hand guiding the tool across the surface. There's a certain intimacy to the work, a tactile quality that connects the artist's hand to the final image. The way the light catches on the metal's surface gives it an almost ethereal quality, like these symbols are floating just below the surface. It's like a quiet meditation on power, identity, and legacy. And in a way, it makes me think of painting, of mark-making as a way to explore and understand our place in the world.