George W. Davison 1929

James McBey made this print of George W. Davison in New York in December 1929. It’s all about line, isn't it? Linear, scratchy, and minimal. McBey used etching and drypoint to make it. These are intaglio printmaking techniques, where you incise lines into a metal plate, ink it, and then press it onto paper. Look at the tie, the way he builds up tone using close parallel lines, it’s almost like a scribble. But then you step back, and that dark mass of ink perfectly renders the silkiness of the fabric. The whole thing has a spontaneous feel, like he’s trying to capture Davison’s essence in a fleeting moment. The bare paper shows through. McBey’s portrait reminds me of drawings by Picasso; both artists share a similar freedom, a love of pure line, and an openness to chance. Of course, it's a conversation; art is always about call and response.