The Menagerie, Versailles (Large Plate) (Versailles, la Menagerie (grande planche)) 1924

André Dunoyer de Segonzac made this etching, The Menagerie, Versailles, with ink on paper, and, wow, what a flurry of marks he created! The whole thing feels alive, doesn’t it? It’s not just a picture, but a record of his hand moving, a dance of observation and feeling. Look at how he varies the pressure, making some lines thick and dark, and others so faint they almost disappear. He’s not trying to trick you into thinking this is real, he invites you to see the world through his eyes, through the process of his making. Notice how, in the upper left corner, the lines are dense and frantic, capturing the wild energy of the trees. Then, your eye travels across to the rooftops on the right, rendered with more deliberate, careful strokes. It’s like he’s saying, "Here's the chaos, here’s the calm, both part of the same experience." It reminds me a little of James Ensor, with its quirky off-kilter perspective, but Segonzac pulls it all together with a breezy, confident touch.