An Interlude 1912

Helen Hyde’s ‘An Interlude’ shows a group of children perched on a donkey, perhaps somewhere warm like Mexico. I’m imagining Hyde making this print, carefully carving each line into the woodblock, then building up each colour in transparent layers. I wonder what she was thinking as she made the marks on the wood, slowly creating this scene of children huddled together. It's as if she's right there with them, sharing their quiet moment of connection. The donkey's head droops down, tired from a long day, the greens and browns and greys mixing together in a harmony. I like how the children's hats mirror each other, creating a circular rhythm that holds the composition together. The work has a quality that reminds me of other American artists who looked to Japanese woodblock prints at the time, like Mary Cassatt. Artists are always in conversation with each other across time, inspiring each other's creativity.