Étude pour Merci 1922

Arthur William Heintzelman made this etching, "Etude pour Merci," with ink on a metal plate. The making of an etching is always a process, a dance between control and accident. The marks here are so delicate and wiry, they remind me of strands of hair. Look at the way he renders the man's face, a web of lines that suggest depth, age, and a certain weariness. It’s all about the pressure of the hand, the way the tool bites into the metal. The lines around the eye, the folds of the coat, they all have a particular weight and direction. The overall effect is quite tender. Heintzelman reminds me of Whistler, both have a similar sensitivity to line and tone, a love for the quiet beauty of the everyday. Ultimately, art is an ongoing conversation, an echo of voices across time.