Bar 1942

Leon Goldin's print, *Bar*, is an inky, intimate vision conjured from the starkness of black and white. I can imagine Goldin in his studio, hunched over the plate, the acid biting, the image slowly emerging from a series of controlled scratches and etches. The figures almost dissolve into the atmosphere, blending with the walls of the bar, the shadows, the low light. The guy with the crutches, reading, is rendered with such empathy; what's his story? It's a real Edward Hopper kind of vibe, yet Goldin brings a certain tenderness, a painterly touch, to his printmaking. I see Goldin's work as part of a long conversation among artists—from the Ashcan School painters to contemporary printmakers—each adding their voice, their experiences, to the collective understanding of what it means to be human. Goldin’s *Bar* is not just a snapshot of a place, but a testament to the power of art to evoke feeling, spark curiosity, and connect us to one another.