Midnight Duty c. 1914

Eugene Higgins made this print, Midnight Duty, with etching, and it just has this sense of dark mystery to it, doesn’t it? I’m really drawn to the way Higgins uses these tiny, precise lines to create this whole world of shadow. You can almost feel the dampness of the stone steps. It’s so process-oriented - you can see the artist figuring it out as he goes, each mark building on the last, like a puzzle being pieced together. Notice how the light kind of radiates out around the figure holding the candle? It’s like a little beacon in the darkness. That glow isn’t just about illumination, but it also speaks to something deeper, like hope or resilience. It’s kind of like what Whistler was doing, all those moody nocturnes, you know? But Higgins brings this social consciousness that’s all his own. Art’s just an ongoing conversation, right? Always questioning, always evolving.