Sebasto's Bar (Le Bar du Sebasto) c. 1927 - 1929

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this print, Sebasto's Bar, sometime in the 20th century using a drypoint needle on paper. It is rendered with a loose hatching of lines, a network that is almost like a spider’s web, or the frantic scratches of a pen in a notebook. The composition presents a bar scene, capturing a snapshot of Parisian life. It's the kind of drawing where you can feel the artist observing and recording, and where the drawing is allowed to stay as a record of looking. Look how the figures almost emerge from the background, with just enough definition to suggest form and presence. The woman on the right almost stares back at us, she is clearly defined and present in the space. The beauty of drypoint is in its directness. You can see the physical act of the artist dragging the needle across the plate. It’s like a conversation, an immediate transfer of thought to paper. In some ways this reminds me of the work of Manet, especially in its attention to modern life, but it also has a quality that resonates with folk art, with its emphasis on expression over polished refinement. It embraces ambiguity and offers endless interpretations.