The Last Confession 1919 - 1920

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this intaglio print, called 'The Last Confession,' using dense and expressive mark-making to convey a scene of intense human emotion. The process feels direct, unvarnished, and deeply felt, as if each line is a raw nerve. Looking closely, you can see the scratchy, almost frantic lines that build up the forms. The dark areas, like the figure’s clothes, are a tangle of cross-hatching, while the lighter areas, like the sheets and skin, are rendered with a more delicate touch. The way the lines follow the contours of the body, particularly around the arms and face, gives the figures a palpable sense of weight and volume. You can almost feel the weight of their bodies. There is a rawness to this work, reminiscent of Käthe Kollwitz. Segonzac embraces ambiguity, leaving space for us to project our own feelings onto the scene. It's not about knowing the specifics but feeling the weight of human connection in moments of crisis.