Study of a Woman, No.3 (Etude de fille III) 1929

André Dunoyer de Segonzac made this black ink etching, Study of a Woman, No.3, and it feels like he was really digging into the material! I can imagine Segonzac drawing with a charged energy; the lines are densely packed, especially around her hair and the back of her neck. The etched lines almost vibrate, giving the figure a sense of presence and weight. There’s a real tension here, a push and pull between the dark, assertive marks and the delicate suggestion of form. The upward tilt of her head is also powerful. What is she looking at? What is she thinking? The image reminds me of other artists, like Paula Modersohn-Becker, who also explored the female form with a kind of raw intensity. Artists are always in conversation with one another, borrowing and riffing off each other’s ideas. This etching is not just a study of a woman, but an exploration of the possibilities of line, mark, and expression.