Zelfportret van Dwight Case Sturges 1915

This self-portrait by Dwight Case Sturges is an etching, so it's all about mark-making, building up tone with closely hatched lines. The image emerges from a network of strokes. I love how the desk and artist's face rise out of the chaos of lines. Sturges captures the working space of an artist. Look how the parallel strokes in the background evoke both light and shadow, but also a sense of movement. See the table in the foreground where the tools are laid, next to the inscription. It is a still life, a portrait and a dedication. For me, the real genius of etching is how it can make something both graphic and atmospheric, like a memory. The way Sturges uses line here reminds me a little bit of Käthe Kollwitz’s prints, both in its directness and its emotional intensity. Art is just this ongoing conversation. What do you think?