Manhattan Evening c. 1932

Earl Horter made this aquatint, 'Manhattan Evening,' and I immediately want to know what kind of evening? I'm guessing it was a quiet one, just him, the plate, the acid, the ink, the paper, and the press. Look how the city rises, layer upon layer. I can almost hear the scratching of the needle as he worked the image into being. The lights of the buildings are soft against the sky. I like how he’s built up the tones to create a mood - a darkness, but one that shimmers with the promise of electric light. Imagine Horter slowly building the image. Bit by bit, line by line. Each mark intentional but also responsive to the accidents of the process, like the way the dark ink sits on the surface of the paper. Artists are always looking, learning, and riffing off each other. This print reminds me of the Ashcan School painters, their gritty visions of New York. It’s all connected, isn’t it? This constant conversation across time. And Horter, with his quiet aquatint, is part of that exchange.