Hårtång (Seaweed wreath) 1914

Anders Zorn made this etching, Hårtång, meaning Seaweed Wreath, at an unknown date, and it's like he's sketching with acid, biting into the plate to make these delicate, scratchy lines. The whole thing feels so process-oriented, like he's thinking through the image as he goes. There's a tactile quality to the cross-hatching on the rocks and in the way the figure emerges from the background. The lines aren’t just describing form, they’re building it, like you could reach out and feel the rough texture of the stone, the weight of the wreath. Look at the way Zorn uses a few, decisive strokes to suggest the curve of her back, the turn of her head. It's economical, but it says so much. You know, seeing this makes me think of Paula Modersohn-Becker. There's a similar earthiness, a celebration of the body and the natural world. Art is always about this kind of looking and responding. It doesn't have to mean one thing. It can be slippery.