Fish (Les crustaces et les poissons) 1935

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac created this print of fish, using a drypoint technique. The image is defined by the stark, incisive quality of the lines, achieved by directly scratching into a copper plate with a sharp needle. This burr created through this process holds ink, resulting in the velvety, slightly blurred effect you see here. Unlike the clean, uniform lines of an etching, the drypoint method yields a more immediate, expressive mark, as though Segonzac captured these fish in a fleeting moment. The artist’s hand is evident in the varying pressure and direction of the strokes, building volume, texture and shadow. The directness of drypoint aligns it with drawing, and yet, because it's a print, this image could be multiplied. This tension between unique mark and reproducibility is part of what makes printmaking such a compelling medium. Ultimately, this work invites us to think about how material and process shape our encounter with art, blurring the boundaries between the unique gesture and the possibilities of mass production.