Head of Old Underwood 1903

This is Augustus John's "Head of Old Underwood," made in 1903, and it's all about the dance of the line. Look at the sheer number of etched lines, they build form and shadow, creating depth where there is none. It's almost like he's mapping the landscape of this man’s face, turning him into a kind of monument. There’s a real sense of process here, a kind of “drawing with acid” as the artist allows the medium to dictate the final form. The beard is particularly interesting, made up of such fine hatching that it appears soft and full. The lines around the eye are deeper, suggesting a life fully lived, and a quiet sense of knowing. John’s work always struck me as a bit like a conversation with artists like Rembrandt. There is a similar use of light and shadow to reveal character, but with a more modern sensibility. Art, after all, is just an ongoing conversation, right?