The Spider (Die Spinne) 1914

George Grosz made this etching, called "The Spider," using a metal plate to make many copies. Imagine the scratchy, insistent pressure of the needle on the metal, line after line. This person emerges from the darkness of the background, with hands clasped. I imagine Grosz, inking and wiping the plate again and again. Was he thinking about the rise of fascism in Germany at this time? The marks create these dark areas that feel troubled. It makes me think about the work of other artists who used printmaking as a medium for political protest and social commentary. I feel the intensity of Grosz's focus. He's trying to capture something real and urgent, and it reminds me that making art can be a way of understanding and responding to the world, even when things feel scary or uncertain.