Bouquet d'Ormes 1924

André Dauchez made this etching called Bouquet d'Ormes, which translates as a bouquet of elm trees, sometime in the early 20th century. I love how the artist has embraced the graphic, linear potential of the etching technique. The whole image is built up from this gorgeous, almost frenetic network of lines. Look closely at the stone wall in the foreground; the etched marks somehow manage to convey both the rough texture and the solid weight of the stones. Notice how Dauchez varies the density of the lines to create areas of shadow and light, giving a real sense of depth to the landscape. It reminds me of the drawings of Van Gogh, but with a more serene, pastoral sensibility. I think Dauchez’s print is really about looking closely at the everyday beauty of the natural world. This attention to detail and his careful mark-making elevate this simple scene into something really special. It’s a reminder that art is often at its best when it finds poetry in the ordinary.