Bos c. 1944 - 1990

This small etching called 'Bos', which is Dutch for 'woods', was made by Kees Stoop. It's all about lines, isn't it? Just look at how they scratch and swarm across the paper, describing the bare trees in winter and the rough scrubby ground. You can see Stoop really digging into the plate here, pulling out these wiry textures. I can imagine him outside, with the wind biting at his fingers, quickly capturing the scene before him. What I like about this print is that it reminds us of the tradition of landscape art, while also being incredibly modern in its abstract approach. It’s almost like he’s channeling the spirit of earlier landscape artists but giving it a contemporary spin. For me, it is a reminder that artists are always in conversation, riffing on what came before. It's an ongoing exchange of ideas, inspiring each other across time and place.