The Lone Goose c. 1930

George Bradshaw made this etching, 'The Lone Goose', sometime in the first half of the 20th century; it looks like. There's something so immediate about the way he has scratched this scene into being, using the etching needle like a kind of stylus, almost like drawing. The texture of the canoe, made up of these tiny marks, suggests a kind of woven material. Look closely at the man in the canoe and how he merges with the shadows. His figure is built up with a network of fine lines. There is a lone goose flying overhead, barely visible, this tiny element balances the composition beautifully. The reflection of the boat in the water is slightly blurred, it shimmers like a memory. The subtle tones and textures in 'The Lone Goose' remind me of some of Whistler's nocturnal scenes, there's a similar feeling of quiet contemplation. Art is always a conversation across time, isn't it? Bradshaw leaves us with more questions than answers, embracing the ambiguity of life.