Dr. Linde's Four Sons 1902

Edvard Munch made this print, Dr. Linde's Four Sons, with etching and drypoint. Look at these faces, these boys, the marks that make them up - they're so tentative, searching, vulnerable. That drypoint line has a velvety quality, doesn't it? It's like Munch is feeling his way through the darkness of the plate, trying to capture something fleeting and precious. You can see the traces of his hand, the hesitations, the corrections. It’s a reminder that art-making is a process of discovery, of trial and error, of wrestling with uncertainty. The whole thing just hangs there, suspended between reality and dream. It puts me in mind of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who was working at the same time. Both artists had the ability to tap into something raw and primal, a kind of vulnerability that makes you want to reach out and protect them. Ultimately, it's a work that invites us to slow down, to contemplate the mysteries of childhood.