Monticelli 1969

This is Leonard Baskin’s print of Monticelli. It looks like it was made with a metal plate, maybe etched. I love the way Baskin uses a few simple lines to create an expressive image. See how the ink is thick and dark in places, then almost disappears? It’s all about the touch of the artist, a real, physical engagement. The whole thing is like a map of Baskin’s hand movements, of his looking and feeling. Focus on the beard – each stroke is like a thought, piling up, creating this rich, complex texture. The rest of the head is pretty sparse and so the beard becomes the focal point. It makes me think of other artists who were obsessed with portraiture, like Alice Neel, who could capture a whole person with just a few strokes. Art is just one long conversation, isn’t it? Baskin is asking, what does it mean to really see someone, to capture their essence on paper?