Eakins: 1880 1957

This is Leonard Baskin’s etching, Eakins: 1880. Baskin seems to embrace the ethos of the quick sketch. He's using these thin lines to build up the figure, layer upon layer. There's a real sense of searching here, the lines aren't definite, more like probes feeling their way around the subject. The texture of the paper is also important. It’s not a smooth surface, it’s got this slightly mottled quality that adds another layer of complexity. See how the lines sometimes skip or break? That’s the tooth of the paper asserting itself. And those drips? They’re like little accidents that Baskin welcomes into the process. Look at the way the lines are concentrated around the eyes and brow, suggesting the weight of experience. You can see a dialogue happening with another master printmaker, like Käthe Kollwitz, who also wasn’t afraid to show the raw physicality of the medium. It’s a reminder that art is always a conversation across time, an ongoing exploration of what it means to be human.