Berglandschap met plas en ruiters 1890 - 1930

Philip Zilcken made this small Berglandschap met plas en ruiters, or Mountain Landscape with Pool and Riders, on paper using etching. Look at how Zilcken lets the etching lines build form and depth. The density of the marks, particularly on the craggy rocks, creates a play of light and shadow that draws you in. It's like he's feeling his way through the landscape, translating what he sees into a series of tactile marks. The texture is everything here, isn't it? The scratchy, almost frantic lines give the scene a real sense of movement. And notice how the reflections in the water aren't smooth or perfect. They're broken up, fragmented. It’s kind of like looking at a memory, something recalled but not entirely clear. There’s a sense of searching here, of trying to capture something fleeting. This work reminds me a little of Whistler's etchings, particularly in the way he uses a limited palette and delicate lines to evoke atmosphere. But Zilcken brings his own sensibility to the process, embracing a certain roughness and immediacy. It’s less about capturing a perfect image and more about the act of seeing itself.