The Solent 1920

Muirhead Bone made this etching called 'The Solent', sometime between 1876 and 1953, probably using a copper plate and acid. Look at the sky, see how it's built up with these tiny, almost frantic lines? It feels like he’s scratching away at the surface, trying to capture the mood of the light. The whole image is like that, this kind of all-over mark making that gives it a really textural feel. It's not about hiding the process, it's about showing it off. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the plate, digging in, creating this world with tiny, repeated gestures. I love the way that the lines create tone and depth. It’s like he’s having a conversation with artists like Whistler, who were also exploring the possibilities of etching at the turn of the century. Bone takes this further, making something very modern and idiosyncratic. For me, this print asks us to consider how much is lost or gained when we focus on representing the world around us.