Officer of the Guard 1953

Rolf Nesch made this print, Officer of the Guard, using a variety of techniques, maybe etching, maybe drypoint, to build up an image piece by piece. It’s like he assembled it from found parts, almost like a collage, embracing the unexpected. Look at how the texture varies across the surface, with some areas smooth and others rough, creating a kind of visual tension. The colours seem muted and slightly faded, adding to the sense of history and decay. Then there’s that mustache, rendered in what looks like torn bits of paper or fabric – a wonderfully absurd detail that subverts the seriousness of the subject. It’s these moments of playful absurdity that make the work so compelling. You can see echoes of Paul Klee in this kind of playful mark-making. Like Klee, Nesch isn’t afraid to embrace the weird and whimsical. Ultimately, this piece reminds us that art is not about answers, but about asking questions and exploring possibilities.