Dankbetuiging van Kornél Révész 1936

Kornél Révész made this etching sometime in the first half of the 20th century, and its loose lines create a sense of narrative possibility. It’s a small print, so you’re right up close to the marks, which somehow makes them feel really intimate. The figure reaches for something – maybe a bird? The etched line is so minimal and vulnerable, it’s hard to tell. What I like is the sense of the artist going straight in, not planning too much. There’s an energy in that open-endedness. You can see it in the little zig-zags that suggest movement, or the sketchy lines making up the figure's form. It reminds me of the work of Philip Guston – that same sense of a line being both descriptive and emotional. Like with Guston, Révész uses the potential of the medium to make the work carry the feeling. It’s a thank you note, but it’s also an open question. Art’s like that – it keeps the conversation going.