Lillebil Christensen IV 1920

Ernst Oppler made this etching, Lillebil Christensen IV, and it’s now hanging out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You know, an etching is like drawing with acid on a metal plate, kind of punk rock when you think about it. The magic of this piece is in the details, like how Oppler uses these tiny, nervous lines to capture the dancer’s movement and the fluff of her tutu. Look at the way he suggests the folds and layers with just a few strokes. The whole thing shimmers with this delicate energy, like she could float right off the paper. It reminds me of Degas, who also loved capturing dancers, but Oppler has his own spin. Where Degas feels solid, Oppler feels fleeting. It's like he's not just showing you a dancer, but the very idea of dance, all airy and ephemeral. Art's always talking to itself, you know?