Portrait of an Irishman, Sean O'Casey 1952

Leonard Baskin made this print of Sean O'Casey, the Irish writer, and what strikes me is the physicality of the process. It’s all about mark-making, the hand of the artist carving out this face, one line at a time. Look closely at the way Baskin used the woodcut tool. See how he didn’t just outline the face, but he chipped away at it, creating these rough, almost violent, marks. It’s like he's digging into the surface, revealing the layers beneath. The dark lines become furrows, mapping the landscape of O'Casey's face. They radiate out from the brow, suggesting a mind deep in thought, or maybe even worry. Then there's that hand on his head, a gesture of contemplation, or perhaps fatigue? Baskin's work reminds me a little of Käthe Kollwitz, who also knew how to make prints that really got under your skin. Ultimately, it's not about what the picture is, but about how it makes you feel, you know?