Fish Scow c. 1938

Editor: So this is Thomas Schofield Handforth's "Fish Scow," from around 1938, rendered as an etching. I'm struck by how Handforth uses line to create depth and texture, it’s all very linear. How do you interpret this work from a formal perspective? Curator: I notice the artist's commitment to representing texture through varying densities of line. See how the density increases and decreases depending on how close the figure or objects are to the picture plane? That linearity that you picked up on helps creates a strong sense of depth through that technique, despite the etching appearing, on its face, fairly flat. What else do you observe about its composition? Editor: Well, I noticed the contrast between the darker foreground figures and the lighter background. Does this serve to push our focus toward the labor happening right in front of us? Curator: Precisely. This contrast serves a compositional purpose; notice how the darkest, most heavily worked areas occupy the lower half, grounding the image. But there's also the use of implied line in the repeated bent shapes of the working figures, pushing the viewers eye into the image further to take it all in. Would you say the artist prefers an overall balance in his composition, or a dynamic imbalance that emphasizes motion or energy? Editor: Hmm, I’d say balance is at play here, despite the implied motion. There's a clear equilibrium between the dark foreground and the detailed, almost delicate, rendering of the background architecture and foliage. It feels very intentional. Curator: Indeed. The success of this print resides, in large measure, on the balance it manages to strike between dynamism and stillness, darkness and light, rough labor and refined artistic technique. Editor: I see what you mean. Focusing on form really illuminates how much Handforth achieves with seemingly simple marks. I'll never look at an etching the same way.