A Girl's Head - F Possibly 1919

Augustus John made "A Girl's Head - F" using etching, and you can see the careful cross-hatching that builds up the tone, a real process of layering that feels both precise and intuitive. The texture created through the etching gives the piece a tactile quality; you can almost feel the roughness of the lines on the plate and the smooth areas that suggest light. Look closely at the girl's hair, those tight curls rendered with such delicate strokes, contrasted with the more assertive lines of her coat, really beautifully done. It’s a study in contrasts, delicate yet strong. John's mark-making reminds me a little of Whistler, in that sense of capturing a fleeting moment with a deceptive simplicity, but John brings his own, more robust energy to it. Ultimately, this etching invites us to see not just a portrait, but a process of thinking and feeling made visible.