Watteau c. 1970

Leonard Baskin made this print, called Watteau, using etching, we think sometime in the 20th century. I like how Baskin's lines don't try to be slick, they embrace a kind of searching quality, like the image is being discovered rather than dictated. The starkness of the black lines against the pale paper creates a raw, immediate feel. Look at the hatching around the mouth – it’s almost frantic, building up this shadowy, intense area. The lines feel like they’re mapping out the contours of a face, but also the inner emotional landscape of the subject. It's a little like a topographical map of a psyche. Baskin shares this preoccupation with the likes of Kathe Kollwitz, who also used printmaking to explore the weight and weariness of human existence. Art's like a big conversation, always echoing and responding to what's been said before.