Noc a Její Kouzla 1946

Václav Zykmund made this small etching, Noc a Její Kouzla, translating as Night and its Magic, in 1946. Look at these lines, a cross-hatching that’s like controlled scribbling. It’s so process-oriented, you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the plate. The texture here is everything. It’s all about the surface, the tiny marks that create a world of shadows and light. See how the ink catches on the paper, creating a depth that’s almost tactile. It's not trying to hide anything, it revels in the process. There's this one spot, near the center, where the lines converge, forming a dark, almost impenetrable mass. It’s like a knot, holding the whole image together. It reminds me of the prints of Max Ernst, a real playfulness with form and a similar interest in the subconscious. But in the end, it’s all Zykmund, with his own strange, beautiful magic.