Les Oliviers 1929

André Dauchez made this etching, "Les Oliviers," with ink and a metal plate, using a technique that allows for a certain amount of detail. I can imagine Dauchez outside, squinting at the light through those olive trees, trying to capture the feeling of the landscape. It’s not just about copying what he sees; it’s about figuring out how to translate that into a language of marks. The sepia tones create a dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere, and the texture achieved through the etching process gives the trees a kind of liveliness, as if they're rustling in a breeze. There's a solitary tree on the right. Its slight lean speaks volumes about resilience and adaptation. Maybe Dauchez saw himself in that tree, bending but not breaking. It reminds me of Corot, who also found poetry in quiet observation. Ultimately, art is a conversation. We all riff off each other, trying to say something new with the same old tools. It’s like jazz.