Ex libris van Gianni Mantero 1907 - 1943

Michel Fingesten made this small engraving on paper, Ex libris van Gianni Mantero, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Look at how the lines are etched so delicately into the paper, it’s amazing, right? The image has a kind of dreamlike feel, maybe a surrealist scene? I love how the velvety black of the ink creates shadows, giving the figures depth and volume. It looks like Fingesten used very fine tools to create these lines, almost like drawing with a needle. There’s a softness to the forms, like they’re emerging from the darkness. The figures are rendered in a soft, almost blurry way. There is one figure with its legs up in the air, I just love how the artist has caught the inner thighs. Fingesten was known for his interest in the occult, and his work shares something with that of Austin Osman Spare, they both had a graphic style, and were invested in the darker side of life. Anyway, it's a fascinating little print, don't you think?