Old Postillion 1920

Francis Dodd created this etching called 'Old Postillion', we don't know exactly when but he lived between 1874 and 1949. Look at those lines working together, hatching and cross-hatching, to define form and evoke texture! I imagine Dodd hunched over the plate, the scratching of the needle a kind of meditation. What was he thinking as he built up the image, stroke by careful stroke? The postillion’s face carries a weight of years, etched just as deeply into the copper. His hands, clasped tightly, seem to hold a lifetime of untold stories. You know, printmaking is like painting's introverted cousin. Instead of the immediate splash of color, it’s a slow, deliberate dance. Dodd’s use of line feels both precise and expressive, reminding me of the graphic work of artists like Käthe Kollwitz. Ultimately, art is just an ongoing conversation between artists across time. Each work builds on what came before, always learning, always questioning. There are no fixed meanings, just invitations to look closer and feel deeper.