Bathers 1918

Hans Purrmann created "Bathers" using etching on paper and it's the kind of print where you can almost smell the ink. Look closely, and you'll see the lines are super delicate, almost hesitant, but they build up to create these figures lounging by the sea. There's a real sense of process here. It’s all about line, and how a few marks can suggest so much. The texture of the paper peeks through, giving it a kind of raw, unfinished feel, which I love. Notice that one figure in the center, how the shading around her torso is built up, as if Purrmann was thinking through the form, one line at a time. It’s funny, this reminds me a little of Matisse. Both artists have a similar interest in capturing light and form with minimal means. This print is a reminder that art is always a conversation, an ongoing exploration of seeing and feeling.