Fuchs c. 1913

Jakob Steinhardt made this etching, "Fuchs," sometime during his career; it's a great example of how just a few lines can convey so much. It feels raw, immediate, like he's trying to capture a fleeting expression. What strikes me is how Steinhardt uses these dense, almost frantic lines to build form. Look at the eyes, the way they seem to bulge with intensity. It’s all in the way he scratches those marks into the plate, isn’t it? You can almost feel the pressure of the tool, the artist’s hand moving across the surface. See how the lines around the mouth suggest a kind of tension, maybe even a hint of a smile. This reminds me of the work of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who used printmaking to explore the depths of human emotion. Like Kollwitz, Steinhardt embraces the power of suggestion, leaving plenty of room for our own interpretations. And, isn’t that what art is all about?