Untitled (Portrait of the Artist's Mother) c. 1905

This is an etching by Joseph Stella, of his mother, on a small plate. It’s like a little window into a very specific moment. I’m thinking about Stella with his etching needle, carefully scratching into the metal, building up these delicate lines. You can see the attention he paid to her face, the way he captured her concentration as she reads. What was she reading, I wonder? I bet Stella was trying to capture something essential about her, something beyond just her physical appearance. There's something so intimate about a portrait, especially one of a family member. The image shimmers in a range of grays, where these tiny marks create form, light, and shadow. You know, it’s funny how artists keep finding new ways to portray the people they love. There are endless ways to see someone.