The Mirror 1904

This is Helen Hyde's woodblock print, "The Mirror," likely made around 1909, and what strikes me is how she coaxes such subtlety from this process, usually defined by bold, graphic marks. Look at the soft, hazy gradations of color in the robe, or the way the floral pattern of the kimono sleeve seems to float on the surface. There's something really beautiful in the way she allows the texture of the paper to show through the translucent layers of ink. The composition is so simple, yet so effective. That dark, almost gothic mirror becomes a window onto intimacy, reflecting this quiet, tender moment between mother and child. It reminds me of some of Mary Cassatt's paintings, sharing that same interest in the everyday lives of women and children. But here, Hyde takes it in a slightly different direction, embracing the graphic qualities of the printmaking process.