Bernini's Statue (La Statue du Bernin) 1924

This is Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac’s etching, Bernini's Statue, made using fine lines to conjure form out of the white paper. It shows a statue in a landscape, framed by tall trees. The etching is all about mark-making and the materiality of the lines. Look at how Segonzac uses different densities of lines to create light and shadow. The trees in the foreground are built up with dense hatched lines, while the background feels lighter and airier, achieved through a more open and sparse touch. It's like he’s sculpting the image with these tiny, deliberate strokes. The vertical lines of the trees offer a structure to the composition, and create a kind of screen through which we view the landscape. It makes me think of Corot, or even Cezanne and his trees, and how they used mark-making to explore space and volume. With this piece, Segonzac makes you feel like you're discovering a hidden view, a private moment captured in ink. It’s a beautiful meditation on seeing, and the simple act of making marks.