Burial of Atala 1907

Timothy Cole made this engraving, 'Burial of Atala,' and wow, the light and dark! It's like he's carving out a whole world with just these contrasting tones. Check out the texture he coaxes from the metal; it's so precise, yet feels incredibly emotional. Look at the way the light catches on Atala's face, so serene against the grief-stricken figure beside her. See how Cole uses shadow to deepen the emotional weight of the scene, almost like a stage set for tragedy. The tiny marks create this incredible depth, pulling you right into the cave with them. It feels related to some of Goya's darker prints. There’s this idea that art isn’t just about beauty, it's about wrestling with the big stuff: life, death, and everything in between.