Les boeufs 1902

Pieter Dupont made this etching of oxen, sometime in the past, using a fine-lined technique. Look at the way the image is built up, almost like he is drawing, bit by bit, stroke by stroke. The whole thing feels immediate, like you’re watching the process of discovery happen right there on the plate. There’s an honesty to the texture. Everything is clear and present. I like the feeling that Dupont wasn't trying to hide anything. The oxen and the farmer are defined with a wonderful, raw energy. Take a look at the leading pair of oxen, how they seem to bulge with effort, a real sense of muscular tension in their shoulders and hindquarters. You can almost hear the creak of their yokes and the grunts of labor. The way he captures light and shadow makes the scene feel like a moment captured, a fleeting glimpse into the everyday life of the countryside. The conversation between artists is always ongoing, and here I think of the Barbizon School, especially artists like Millet, who found beauty and nobility in the lives of ordinary people.