Mona 1911

Anders Zorn created "Mona" with etching in 1911. The scratchy lines and tonal washes give the picture an immediate, intimate feel. There's a sense of immediacy, as if Zorn captured Mona in a fleeting moment. The artist is present in this work - you can imagine him bent over the metal plate, the acid biting, and the decisions about line and shadow being made right there. I get a sense that Zorn empathized with Mona. He may have seen something of himself in her. Maybe they both shared some loneliness? Some sort of artistic temperament? Her gaze is so direct and she meets the artist with a kind of gentle resolve. This print shows how artists, through their own marks, bring the world into being, one person at a time.