In Mexico 1913

Helen Hyde made this print, In Mexico, in the early 20th century. It’s so evocative of the everyday, the casual intimacy between a mother and child. I wonder about the etched lines, the patient work of carving into a surface, pressing ink, the anticipation of what the paper will reveal. I can imagine Hyde carefully planning the composition, but also allowing for the unexpected to occur. She probably relished the tactile quality of the materials: the smooth metal plate, the sticky ink, the soft paper. Look at the way she captured the folds of the mother’s dress, the texture of the adobe wall, the light filtering through the leaves. There’s such a sense of place here, a feeling of warmth and connection. Painters like Alice Neel come to mind, her portraits of everyday people, the way she captured their vulnerability and humanity. Artists are always looking, learning from one another, building on the past while forging their own path, aren’t they? It's a constant conversation across time. Each brushstroke, each line, a testament to the endless possibilities of expression.