Procession 1905

Frantisek Kupka made this mysterious print called “Procession”, using etching and aquatint. You can see the process in the way the marks build up, like he’s thinking out loud with his needle. The colors are muted, mostly browns and tans, which gives it an old, almost forgotten feeling. The surface has this grainy texture, especially in the background. If you look closely at the figure on the left, see how the lines are hatched, like nervous energy held in check? This really contrasts with the confident, almost theatrical nude figure, making you wonder what relationship she has to the shadowy figures around her. Kupka was a mystic, and this procession feels like some strange ritual being enacted. There’s something of Edvard Munch here, but Kupka is less emotionally raw, more interested in the ritual of seeing. It’s a strange one, but that’s what makes it stick with you.