Seventeenth-Century Poet 1965

Leonard Baskin made this etching, Seventeenth-Century Poet, at some point during his career. It's a pretty strange print, and I mean that as a compliment. The poet's face is smudged, almost erased, leaving only this incredible ruff and cloak rendered with the lightest touch. Look closely, and you'll notice how Baskin uses the etched line to suggest form, not define it. There is a crack that almost bisects the poet’s body. It’s as if Baskin is saying, "Here's the appearance of a person, now consider how fragile, how temporal, this idea of a person really is." I'm reminded of Francisco Goya's etchings, particularly his series "Los Caprichos", in how Baskin uses the medium to explore the darker side of human nature. Both artists embrace the ambiguity inherent in printmaking, allowing the medium to dictate the message, and isn't that what art's all about?