Elopement 1918

Hans Meid made this etching, called 'Elopement', sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Look at all those cross-hatched lines, building up tone, suggesting a scene at night, maybe in a forest. I can feel the artist’s hand moving across the plate, digging in with the etching tool, again and again, to build up the image. It makes me think about all the choices he had to make! How much darkness? How much light? Where to place those figures? I bet he scratched out a few mistakes along the way, maybe changed his mind a few times too. I’m drawn to the figure helping the bride out of the window. Her white dress makes her stand out against the darkness. I imagine him thinking about all the romantic paintings he had seen, and then adding his own spin. What does it mean to run away, to elope? There are so many paintings about marriage, but few about escaping from it! It reminds me of those etchings by Goya, with their dark humor and social commentary. Artists see each other across time, and riff on each other's ideas. It's this never-ending conversation that keeps art alive.