River Bank (La Berge) 1930

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this print, River Bank, with ink and paper, making marks that feel so immediate. You can see the hand of the artist in every stroke. The texture created by these marks is really what makes this piece sing. Look how the density of lines shifts from the light, feathery strokes in the trees to the dense, dark mass of the water. It's almost like he's sculpting the scene with ink, isn't it? Check out the way the lines in the water are all horizontal and vertical, building up this dark, solid plane of shadow, it really contrasts to the wispy lines of the foliage. Segonzac reminds me a little of Cezanne, actually, they both have this interest in reducing form to these essential, almost abstract marks. But where Cezanne is all about colour, Segonzac is all about line. And that’s what gives this print its power, that raw, direct expression.