Steen in landschap 1825

Curator: What strikes you first about this work? To me, it breathes Romanticism, a wistful dream almost. Editor: I'm immediately drawn to the layering, the texture achieved solely through etching, isn’t it? It's like a dense thicket pulled from a fairytale. Curator: It is rather charming. This etching, crafted around 1825, goes by "Steen in landschap", or "Stone in Landscape" and is attributed to Abraham Vinkeles. You can see it now at the Rijksmuseum. The title, though...quite literal, don't you think? Editor: It does somewhat undersell it. The “stone” looks almost like a canvas. It has text, what I imagine is the title and authorship. Like the art is presenting itself, ready for scrutiny. But what are these materials exactly? Curator: This is an etching; ink on paper, really a form of early printmaking. The artist would cover a metal plate with a waxy resist, scratch an image into it, and then dip it in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, and the plate is then inked and used to make prints. Think about the labor involved... Editor: Absolutely. It feels so much like a captured memory, doesn't it? That rough stone slab, covered with what look like advertisements or some dedication—completely engulfed by foliage. It feels deeply personal, like the artist left his mark and then nature slowly tried to take over. It's melancholic! Curator: What I find compelling is its self-referentiality. The etching itself mimics the act of carving into stone or wood. This becomes a fascinating commentary on reproduction, authorship, and the very act of artistic creation. Editor: That's an interesting reading. For me it’s about the temporality, the tension between natural and manmade elements. What does it mean to put something human onto the natural world, will it erode over time? How long before those inscriptions fade? Curator: An important question to consider when thinking about artmaking generally. Well, pondering on this piece has made me reevaluate Vinkeles' position within the art landscape. Editor: It has given me a renewed appreciation for the romantic pull towards landscape as a space of quiet reflection.