Fleurs 1929 - 1932

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this etching, called Fleurs, with ink and a metal plate to make a printed image. Look at the lines and how they build up to describe the forms. I love how much information he gives us with what seems like so little. Segonzac really lets the black ink sit on the surface. Take the plant pots, for example, which sit along the balcony. The plants growing out of them form a complex pattern, but if you look closely you can see how a simple repetition of marks builds up to suggest depth and texture. You can almost feel the scratch of the etching needle on the plate. Segonzac reminds me a little of Matisse, another French artist who was a master of using simple, clear lines to create a sense of form and space. What both artists share is that sense of making it look easy, when, of course, it isn't easy at all. They show us that a work of art can be finished without being overly laboured.