Waterfront 1936

Albert Bloch created this etching, Waterfront, using a process of mark-making that feels both precise and intuitive. You can almost see him finding his way through the scene with each delicate line. The etching feels almost like a memory fading in and out. The textures range from the solid, gritty architecture of the bridge to the soft, blurred reflections in the water. The artist’s hand is evident in the way the lines build up to create depth and shadow. Look at how the reflections in the water dissolve into a series of horizontal strokes, contrasting with the tight, controlled lines of the buildings. It’s as if the city is dreaming, its reflection more fluid and alive than the concrete itself. It puts me in mind of Piranesi, an artist of an earlier era, who also used architectural subjects as a starting point for flights of fancy, or maybe even some of the weirder and more melancholy of the German Expressionists.