Berit 1905

Anders Zorn made "Berit" with etching, and what strikes me first are these really direct, almost scratchy lines. It feels immediate, like he's figuring out the form right in front of us. Looking closer, you can see how the darkness is built up with a million tiny strokes. Especially around the figure, there's this real sense of volume, like you could almost reach out and touch her. The way the light catches her shoulder, it's so delicate. Then the ground is so roughly handled, that's what really gets me, the contrast. Zorn’s contemporary, Edgar Degas, also used etching and aquatint to depict the female form. But where Degas could be more cool and detached, Zorn brings this sense of intimacy, a real warmth. For me, art is always about that conversation, across time, across artists. It's never just one voice, it's a whole chorus, you know?