Village Violinist 1904

This is Anders Zorn's "Village Violinist", an etching, made with the kind of graphic black marks that come from a metal plate bitten by acid. I can imagine Zorn inking the plate, wiping it just so, and cranking it through the press. You know, printmaking is a real dance! So physical. I bet Zorn had ink all over his hands. Look at the way he’s rendered the violinist's face. It's all suggestive, not too precise. I bet Zorn was thinking about Rembrandt, who knew a thing or two about capturing light and shadow with just a few lines. I think Zorn wants to show the soul of the music, not just the guy playing it. It's like he's saying that art is a conversation across time. We keep riffing on the same themes, but each of us brings something new to the jam session.