Portaal van de Grote of Sint-Stevenskerk in Nijmegen 1888 - 1934

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this print of the Sint-Stevenskerk in Nijmegen. The image is etched in a light brown ink, with hatched lines building form and shadow. The image is constructed with lots of small, dark strokes, and I imagine Grondhout hunched over the plate, carefully layering the lines to create tone. I wonder if he worked from a photograph? It’s hard to know if he was on site, or sitting in his studio imagining being there. I feel the urge to think about the lone figure walking through the portal of the church – where are they going, and what are they thinking? I imagine Grondhout thought about the person too. Artists, like writers, are always in conversation with each other. Each artwork is always a new response and an opening into new directions. Painting embraces uncertainty, but in this print, Grondhout makes a singular statement of fact.