Ambroise Vollard IV c. 1937

This is Ambroise Vollard IV, a black ink etching by Pablo Picasso. Looking at this portrait, it feels like Picasso is thinking through line. These aren't necessarily lines that describe form, but lines that almost seem to be thinking aloud, or mapping a face, bit by bit. It's like watching a thought take shape. The beauty of the etching is its subtle texture, the way the ink catches on the paper creating depth. Look at the beard, see how it's just a collection of scratchy, energetic marks? And the eyes are so simply rendered, yet they convey so much. It’s the confidence of the line, its unwavering quality, that gives the image its power. Picasso’s line is, in essence, a way of seeing. It reminds me of the way Giacometti used line in his drawings. There is a similar interest in how the line can build up a kind of psychological space around the figure. Art is a conversation, and Picasso’s line has a lot to say.