Värmland 1909

Wanda Roose made this etching, Värmland, at the beginning of the twentieth century. There’s such a stillness in the smoky grays, like she pulled the tones from a memory. Look at how the marks vary, the vertical lines of the grass shifting into the denser cross-hatching of the trees. There's something so physical about this, Roose scraping away at the plate, trusting the process. Her textures are palpable, and it makes me wonder about her hands on the plate. I'm drawn to the way she suggests the light on the water, a blank space amidst the darkness, it has a shimmering presence. That single tree standing tall, almost defiant, against the wide sky. Roose's work reminds me of Agnes Martin's quiet intensity, both artists finding a kind of monumental simplicity. It’s a reminder that art isn't always about answers; it's about opening up space for questions.