Les Trois Compagnons 1912

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this etching, Les Trois Compagnons, with ink and metal to carve out a tiny world. The tonal range is almost entirely shades of gray, but that makes the scratchy, nervous lines even more expressive. Look at the way the figures are built from these marks. The artist coaxes shadows and light out of the darkness. It feels like he's wrestling with the medium, and that struggle gives the image its power. Notice the seated man. His face is all sharp angles and deep lines, conveying a sense of weariness or maybe even defiance. He’s framed against these long horizontal lines, which suggests something vast and unknowable beyond. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to be loud or flashy to be deeply moving. Think of Käthe Kollwitz, who was working around the same time, also using printmaking to capture the grit and the grace of everyday life. I think both artists invite us to slow down and see the world with new eyes.