Zittend vrouwelijk naakt, met kousen aan 1920

Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita made this print, "Zittend vrouwelijk naakt, met kousen aan," which roughly translates to "Seated female nude, with stockings on," sometime around 1920. It’s an image built from a multitude of tiny marks. The density and direction of those marks create this really tangible atmosphere of light and shadow. Looking at it, I think about the materiality of the printmaking process. The texture is key here. Notice how the build-up of marks around the figure creates a sense of volume, almost like she’s emerging from the shadows. The contrast between the dense, dark background and the lighter, ethereal quality of the figure makes her feel present, but also somehow distant. I keep thinking about that dense hatching—it reminds me of the kind of work you see in Paula Modersohn-Becker’s prints. There's a similar interest in the human form, and a real commitment to the idea that art doesn't have to be about perfect representation, but about capturing something essential. This print is about the ongoing conversation between artists across time, each finding their own way to depict the world.