Portræt af min moder 1900 - 1943

Axel Hou made this print, "Portræt af min moder" or "Portrait of my Mother" with an etching plate, but when? The linear marks in this image, they just keep going, never stop, do they? They build up density, like thoughts accumulating. It feels like the artist is trying to really see his mother. Look closely at her hat. Those looping marks that form the strange shape on top. It's such a weird form, so particular, and the artist really lingers on it. He's not just making a likeness, he is thinking about her, turning her over in his mind, and, as a viewer, I get to be part of that process. The portrait reminds me of the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker, also interested in intimate, domestic scenes, and who was etching around the same time. Ultimately, it’s not about perfection, or even a clear vision, but about the act of trying to see.