Exodus (L'exode) 1916

This is an etching by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, and it's all about the scratchy dark marks, like he’s digging into the surface to pull out this scene. I bet Steinlen was thinking about injustice when he made this. I can almost feel the cold, see the wind, and hear the people moaning. It reminds me of Kathe Kollwitz, who turned printmaking into a political tool. They both seem to be saying that, even with just black and white marks on paper, we can feel the weight of the world, and connect with each other through hard times. I think about the marks that Steinlen made, how they create a feeling of desperation, but also tenderness. Like the way he scratched in the sky, full of energy but also really unsettling. Artists are always looking at each other's work, riffing on ideas, trying to say something new. Steinlen's print is proof that art can be a powerful way to share what it means to be human and that we're all in this together.