Woman of the World c. 1938 - 1940

Edith Bry made this print, Woman of the World, in a way that’s so delicate and process oriented; look closely and you can see how she built up the image through tiny strokes. There’s no easy way to get to the finish line here; it demands patience. Bry used a fairly restricted tonal range, the image is almost monochromatic, but the way she coaxes out the highlights, especially on that faux fur stole, is really something. Notice too, how the background feels both solid and blurred; it's like she’s playing with our focus, making us decide what really matters in this image. The marks on the wall behind the woman feel a little like rain, the marks get darker and more built up the lower they reach. I'm reminded of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who was also interested in representing women with a certain inner strength and quietness. Both artists avoid any sense of sentimentality, but embrace ambiguity.