Duet of the Trojans, seventh plate 1903

"Duet of the Trojans, seventh plate" by Henri Fantin-Latour is an etching, so made by scratching into a metal plate. The figures in the image emerge from a dark haze as though they are being formed out of it. Look at how the white of the paper catches the light, especially on the dress of the seated figure. The artist uses a very active line, not to define form, but to find it. Now consider that the whole image is made from tiny etched lines. The etched line has a unique quality, it’s physical and almost sculptural in its own right. It’s a mark that contains a decision, a hesitation, a certain kind of energy. Like Degas, Fantin-Latour used printmaking to move beyond the traditions of painting toward something new, something more immediate and experimental. For me, this piece feels like a conversation with the past and a step toward the future."