Portræt af kunstnerens søster Ella Wahlgreen Nielsen 1933

This is Henry Nielsen's portrait of his sister, Ella Wahlgreen Nielsen, an etching made sometime in the early 20th century. The marks are raw and immediate, like a sketch in ink, but they build up to form a tender likeness of his sister. Look at the lines around her eyes – see how they’re not just describing the form, but also hinting at a kind of introspective mood. The texture has a dry, almost scratchy quality. It reminds me that art isn’t just about capturing an image, but also about the physical act of making, the way the hand moves and the tool responds. The way Nielsen used these simple lines to create a feeling, a sense of character, is really impressive. It puts me in mind of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s portraits. It's like Nielsen is having a conversation with her, across time, about what it means to truly see someone.