Moving of Lines c. 1940

Jolán Gross-Bettelheim made this small print, Moving of Lines, which buzzes with a particular kind of visual energy. It's all in the mark-making, the way the lines are laid down to create this fractured space. Check out how the lines build up the forms, creating depth and shadow through simple hatching. Look at the top right corner of the bridge: the cross-hatching makes it seem as though the architectural forms are emerging from the darkness. The linear construction almost looks like Cubism gone wild. It reminds me of Piranesi's etchings, with his dark, cavernous prisons. I love how the lines aren't precious or overly refined; there's a kind of raw energy to them. It's like she's trying to capture the speed and dynamism of the modern world, not just represent it. Gross-Bettelheim's work is such an interesting echo of Italian Futurism, but from a different angle, a different sensibility. It's like listening to a conversation between artists across time and space.