Seated Figure No.7 1945

Pierre Courtin made this Seated Figure No.7 as an etching, so it's all about the line, isn’t it? The cross hatching and the varied density of the lines gives a sense of volume to the figure, like a 3D puzzle. The figure is both there and not there, the body is being constructed as you look. I love how this piece explores the space between abstraction and representation. Look closely at the lines around the face, they are so delicate and fragile, like a whisper. And then the heavier lines that define the legs, really giving the figure a sense of weight. It kind of reminds me of Picasso's explorations of form, but with a more introspective, almost melancholic feel. It is all about the act of seeing, of piecing together what we know, or what we think we know. It's the making that matters.