Jachtknecht 1878 - 1943

Willem van Konijnenburg made this etching, Jachtknecht, which translates to Hunting Servant, using line work to build up tonal variation and textural effects. It’s like he’s thinking through the image, feeling his way across the plate. See how the hatching creates shadows? It's a real hands-on process. The ink sits on the surface of the paper, and you can feel the mark, like a low-relief sculpture. Look at the figures at the top, they are hunting, in contrast to the man and dog, who are waiting. I love how the image at the top fades like a distant memory. Konijnenburg’s etching technique is reminiscent of artists like Félicien Rops, who also explored the possibilities of etching as a medium for capturing fleeting moments. Ultimately, art is about conversations and exchanges across time.