Two Nudes c. 1928 - 1930

Curator: Henrietta Mary Shore created this intriguing intaglio print, aptly named "Two Nudes," sometime between 1928 and 1930. What are your first thoughts on it? Editor: My immediate reaction is drawn to the textural contrast; the smooth skin of the figures against that gritty, almost oppressive darkness in the background is striking. The materials must have been central to Shore's intentions here. Curator: Absolutely. And Shore’s broader body of work reveals a deep engagement with portraying the figure during a period when ideas of modernity and identity were being heavily debated in artistic circles. We have to consider the public's perception of nudity during that time. Editor: That dark background, achieved through intaglio, also suggests the materiality of the plate itself, and the labor involved. I find myself wondering about the availability and cost of such materials for a female artist during the interwar period. The process feels crucial to unpacking the work. Curator: Indeed. Her representation of the bodies feels deliberate, challenging idealized forms— almost a rejection of the prevailing art establishment and its traditional depiction of the female nude. There's a stark realism. Editor: Stark realism, yes, but the hands! Look at how they clasp. There's a certain tenderness amidst that realism, which really softens it. The rendering feels almost like a woodcut— stark and forceful. Was this printed from a copper plate? That would tell us something about accessibility for Shore as an artist. Curator: Good question. Whatever the case, by exhibiting work like this in galleries of the period, Shore was placing herself firmly in the nexus of conversations around gender, representation and the very definition of artistic expression. Editor: I agree, it really challenges our own preconceived notions about intimacy and representation, even today. This is so much about labor, production, context and intention, I keep wanting to circle back to the hands… that tension, I mean tenderness. Curator: Ultimately, viewing Shore's work in light of these considerations expands our appreciation for the complexity and impact of her contributions to early 20th-century art. Editor: I'll certainly never look at an intaglio print the same way. Thinking about the pressure and resistance involved in etching really transforms the image for me.