Mrs. Glengowan and Daughter 1919

This is Timothy Cole’s engraving of Mrs. Glengowan and Daughter. Look how the light falls on the fabric, and how the artist coaxes the eye with all those tiny, precise marks. I can imagine him, bent over his work, his brow furrowed in concentration. He’s trying to capture not just their likeness but something of their essence, that quiet bond between mother and child. Engraving is a slow, deliberate process. Each line is etched with intention, building up to create depth and texture. It’s like he’s sculpting the image, carving it out of the surface, and it’s beautiful. Engravers were the internet of their day, spreading images and ideas far and wide. They were in conversation with painters, translating their work into a new medium, and engaging in a dialogue across time and space. Like any artist, engravers have so much to teach us about how we look, how we see, and how we understand the world around us.