Pursuit 1880 - 1929

Ernst Oppler made this etching, "Pursuit," with ink on paper. The way the image almost floats on the page makes me think about the process of letting go. I love how Oppler uses these quick, scratchy lines to build up the forms. It's like he's chasing after a memory, trying to capture something fleeting. There's so much movement, right? Look at the woman's dress – it's all these little scribbles that give it a sense of volume, but it also feels light as air, and the way their legs are just suggested with these spindly lines, it's like they could disappear at any moment. This reminds me a little bit of Honoré Daumier, with that same kind of satirical edge. But where Daumier is all about social commentary, Oppler seems more interested in capturing a mood, a feeling. It’s about suggestion, letting the viewer fill in the blanks.