Djos Mats 1911

Anders Zorn made this etching, *Djos Mats*, in 1911. The artist is working in monochromatic marks, setting light against dark to create a portrait of a man. I can imagine Zorn hunched over a plate, scratching with a needle to make the marks that will hold the ink, wiping and re-wiping the plate to get it just right. Look closely, and you can see the weight of the man's gaze. There's a lot of pressure in these lines, particularly around the eyes and the beard, and a real sense of the artist trying to capture something essential about his subject. It makes me think about other portraitists, like Rembrandt, who used etching to explore the human condition. Artists are always looking at each other, borrowing ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible.