Perseus Beheading Medusa, VI 1945

André Racz made this etching titled Perseus Beheading Medusa, VI, and I can only imagine the movements, hesitations, and erasures that happened along the way. It makes me think about Goya, maybe, or Picasso. I imagine Racz’s hand moving quickly, decisively, but also tentatively. Look at how he captures the intensity of the moment: Perseus stands over Medusa, brandishing her severed head. I see swirling lines, sharp angles, and a palette of muted earth tones. There’s a raw, almost brutal energy in the composition. I wonder what Racz was thinking when he made this. The lines are so frenetic, so full of nervous energy. Did he feel any sympathy for Medusa? Is Perseus a hero or another kind of monster? Etching is hard! I feel for him. He’s obviously in conversation with the art of his time, and that conversation is still ongoing.