Victory Amid Trophies 1941

Helen King Boyer made this etching, Victory Amid Trophies, with a masterful use of line to create a scene steeped in classical allegory. I can only imagine Boyer in the studio, her hand moving deliberately to build up this image. What does she want us to feel, looking at this figure of victory? Her face betrays weariness more than triumph. There's a complexity here; the weight of achievement, maybe. The cross-hatching on the trophies, the spears and shields, creates a tangible sense of texture. You can almost feel the cold metal. I am so curious about the linear quality of the piece. Boyer has found a way to harness line work, a traditionally illustrative form, in order to express a contemporary idea. It's not just about depiction, but about feeling and meaning, what a truly skilled artist can accomplish.