The Puppy-cat and the Baby 1904

Helen Hyde's ‘The Puppy-cat and the Baby’ is a print, but the way she handles the medium is so painterly. The woodblock gives a flatness, but there's a real sense of touch. Look at the baby’s robe, it’s all these dense, busy, little marks. The density creates the mass of the garment, but it’s built from repeated gestures. I love the colours, the reds and greens on black, they remind me of Vuillard, but with a unique edge. Then there is the puppy-cat, it's got such a funny face! Each mark seems both totally deliberate and also kind of improvised. The soft texture of the paper adds to that feeling. It’s like she’s having a conversation with the material, letting the grain and texture of the wood influence her decisions. It makes the whole thing feel alive, like a living thing. What I love about this, and about printmaking in general, is that it's all about the push and pull of control and accident.