Roosje Ingen Housz 1920

Maurits Cornelis Escher, known as M.C. Escher, made this portrait in black and white, diving into the depths of light and shadow. The stark contrast isn't just about what's seen, but how we see. It’s a process of subtracting to reveal. Look at how he allows for these rough, porous edges, and the way light seems to bleed out of the shapes. This gives an almost ethereal, dreamlike quality. It's as if Escher is not just showing us a face, but hinting at the unseen forces that shape our perceptions. The hair is like a web or a net, like the figure is trapped within the medium. Consider the light from which the figure is made: it’s full of possibility. It puts me in mind of the light in some of the work of Ad Reinhardt, another artist with an affinity for monochrome, particularly the subtle and profound effects of black. Art is less about answers and more about sparking those questions and ambiguities.