At the Dance (Au Bal) 1929

André Dunoyer de Segonzac made this etching, titled ‘At the Dance,’ with ink on paper. It’s like he’s captured a fleeting moment of movement. The image is etched with an economy of line, almost like a quick sketch, but there’s a lot of information packed in. Take the woman’s skirt for example. It’s rendered with these almost Cubist, broken lines. Segonzac wasn't trying to create the illusion of reality; rather, the etching becomes a record of the artist's perception of movement. I'm reminded of other artists who explore the dynamics of form, like Picasso, but Segonzac brings his own distinctive sensibility to the conversation. It’s all about the process, allowing the accidental mark to become a defining feature.