From Simon's Wharf 1925

John Winkler made this etching, From Simon's Wharf, with ink on paper. The lines are so delicate, aren't they? They have a real scratchy energy, and you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the plate. It's like he's sketching with acid! I love how he's captured the light on the water and the way the buildings in the background fade into the distance. You know, etching is such a physical process. The artist has to apply the ground, scratch the image into the plate, and then dunk it in acid. It's like a dance between control and chance, kind of like painting. There's this cluster of lines in the foreground, near the bottom right. It's almost like he's just scribbling, but it creates this sense of depth and texture, and it really makes the whole image pop. Winkler's approach reminds me a little of Whistler; they both had this love for capturing the everyday beauty of city life with a deft hand and a keen eye. Art is just one big conversation, right?