Clothes Seller 1918

William Auerbach-Levy created this etching titled 'Clothes Seller' using fine, delicate lines. I can imagine him, carefully working the plate with acid to create the image. There’s a vulnerability and an honesty that comes through so strongly in his work. You can see it in the slightly stooped shoulders of the figure, carrying the heavy sack. I wonder what it was like for Auerbach-Levy, observing and capturing this individual? Did he feel empathy for the subject’s labor? It reminds me of other artists who turned their attention to everyday life, like the Ashcan School painters. They sought to depict the gritty realities of urban existence. As artists we're all in an ongoing conversation, aren't we? Taking cues and inspiration from those who came before, responding to the world around us. It’s a beautiful, messy, endless exchange of ideas.