Fernande with Arms Crossed, Second Plate (Fernande les mains croisees (planche moyenn 1923

Curator: Up next we have Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac's "Fernande with Arms Crossed, Second Plate" from 1923, executed in ink. Editor: There’s an immediate intimacy in this portrait. The lines are etched deep, almost worried, and that forces you into Fernande’s personal space, doesn't it? I get a sense of concentrated labor, like she's mending something delicate. Curator: Segonzac was indeed fascinated by the working classes, frequently portraying them with dignity and unadorned realism. Note how his approach emphasizes form through the density and direction of the ink strokes. He’s really investigating the human form as much as capturing a likeness. Editor: Precisely! It's more than just observation; there’s a raw emotional quality in those lines. Look at the way he renders the fabric – a cascade of urgent scratches, compared with her hands – gnarled and softened. Curator: Segonzac's mark-making isn't just descriptive, it's expressive. See how the lines around her eye are denser, drawing your gaze. It establishes a powerful focal point, highlighting the psychological depth of the sitter. It almost renders the print as both tender and resolute. Editor: True. I'm just caught by that single earring, almost a spark in this sea of solemn lines. A glint of humanity. It hints that there is more to her. A spark to an identity she has perhaps tried to supress in the time of labor, both emotional and physical. Curator: Yes, such details serve as a potent reminder of the individual within the social context. And the work serves almost like a memory, capturing a split-second. It would be curious to know if there's an essence of Fernande outside her representation, but the art only ever shows one perspective. Editor: A powerful encapsulation of human character through what looks like chaotic means! It’s a reminder of art’s strange magic. Curator: Indeed, a moment suspended, dissected, and reformed. Thank you.