Start of 100 Meter Race (Le Depart des 100 metres) 1930

André Dunoyer de Segonzac made this print of a sprinter around the time of the first world war using a technique that looks like etching. Imagine him bent over a copper plate, scratching with a burin! The lines are really worked over in some areas, like around the runner’s torso, where they bunch up and get darker, giving the figure some weight and volume. In other areas, like the grass and surrounding area, the lines are more sparse. It feels like he’s using these hatch marks to capture light and shadow, but also to add a sense of tension, like the guy is about to spring off the page. The sprinter is so focused, coiled up like a spring, totally in the moment, on the verge of exertion. Think about those moments, the ones right before something big is about to happen, when your whole body is just buzzing with energy! It’s a universal feeling, and you can really sense it in this print.