Burlesk 1942

Bertram Goodman made this lithograph, Burlesk, sometime in the 20th century. It's all about the Benjamins baby... No, wait, that's not right, it's all about the graphite! Just look at how Goodman coaxes out all these different tones and textures, using what must have been an insane amount of layering to achieve these deep blacks. I'm thinking especially of the first row of the audience with that densely worked fabric, like an excited, shifting sea of wooly delight! You can really see the hand of the artist in the varied mark making: smooth and blended in the bright lights of the stage backdrop, but rough and scratchy to describe the faces in the dark stalls. It reminds me of Kollwitz, with the way she builds an atmosphere of tension and anxiety, but here we get a sense of anticipation, like a crowd waiting to be thrilled! Art’s a conversation, right?