Pregnancy 1938

Will Barnet made this intaglio called Pregnancy, with velvety dark blacks and grays. It's all about process, isn’t it? How do you make a mark, and how does that mark describe something else? Look at how he works the plate, especially around the figure of the woman. The lines build up these gorgeous, subtle forms. The way the light catches the swell of her belly, the folds of her dress, and her hands clasped around the book. You can almost feel the texture, the weight of the ink on the paper. See the softness around her face? The etched lines aren't trying to hide, they embrace their identity. This intaglio reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz's prints, particularly in their shared commitment to portraying the human condition with empathy and raw emotion. But this image embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings. In the end, it's the feeling it leaves you with that matters.