L'Omnibus 1893 - 1943

Jean-Louis Boussingault made this print, L'Omnibus, sometime in the early 20th century. It's a scene dominated by blacks and grays, a stagecoach, maybe, and figures huddling in shadow. I can imagine Boussingault working on the plate, layering acid to bite into the metal, each pass deepening the blacks, coaxing the forms out of the shadows. See how the dark marks build up the impression of the trees, creating a canopy above the scene. The sky and foreground are more lightly etched, giving the impression of depth. I wonder what it was like to stand where Boussingault stood and watch the world go by. I imagine the artist wanting to capture a moment in time. Maybe it was just an ordinary scene he had seen, and etching it gave it a new life, immortalizing it on paper for others to see. The history of art is just one big conversation! Each artist, like Boussingault, adding their voice, their perspective, to the mix. It's all about feeling your way through, isn't it? Embracing the unexpected, and letting the marks lead you.