Untitled (Mozart Profile to Viewer's Right - on Green-Tan Background) 1945

Joseph Solman made this print of Mozart with, I’m guessing, lithographic crayon, sometime in the 20th century. The palette is muted, like faded upholstery, but don’t let that fool you. Solman's mark-making is direct. The outline of the head is confident, almost blunt. Look at the green-tan background: you can practically feel the drag of the crayon. The marks create this kind of hazy atmosphere, a world of ghosts and half-remembered melodies. It’s like Solman is searching for Mozart, trying to pull him into being through the act of drawing. The browny-black shape at Mozart’s neck is so dark it almost grounds the figure, making the wispy blue-grey of the face float even more. There’s something about the economy of line and color that reminds me of Guston’s late work, this feeling that you can make a whole world out of just a few marks. Art isn't about showing, it's about searching.