Farmyard in Normandy 1924

John W. Winkler created this etching, called Farmyard in Normandy, using black ink. The gestural marks are so delicate they seem to almost disappear into the paper. I wonder what it was like for Winkler to create this scene, maybe on a warm summer day? He probably stood somewhere for hours, watching the light change, trying to capture what he saw. I’m drawn to how the etching shows depth and texture using the bare minimum. You can feel the grass, the water, and the sky, even though it's all done with just these tiny lines. It’s like he is telling a story with each stroke of the etching needle. Painters are always in conversation with each other, across time and space, constantly building on what came before. Winkler’s work makes me think about how we can find beauty and meaning in the simplest of things, like a farmyard.