Eka 1913

Anders Zorn made this intaglio print, Eka, without a known date using etching. The etched lines feel so immediate, like quick sketches capturing a fleeting moment. It's all about the process, isn't it? How else could you capture the sensation of light on water and the human form with such immediacy? Look at the reflections, how they break up the surface, how they are like a dark mirror image. Zorn's treatment of the subject matter is a nod to the old masters like Rembrandt, who knew how to use light and shadow to create drama and depth. There’s something kind of timeless about a lone figure in a boat, lost in thought, it makes you wonder what they are up to. Zorn knew that a work of art is never really finished, it's just abandoned.