Ambroise Vollard IV c. 1937

This is Picasso's etching of Ambroise Vollard, a key figure in the Parisian art world at the start of the 20th century. What I see here is line, and a lot of it! Quick, dry lines delineate the contours of Vollard's face, capturing his likeness with a sort of wry directness. Just imagine Picasso, bending over the plate, acid biting, scratching a likeness into metal. I bet he was thinking about Ingres. There's something so economical about the line work. How much can you say with the bare minimum of marks? Look at the way the beard is rendered with these swift, almost scribbled lines. And those eyes! Picasso's etched a gaze that seems to look right through you, sizing you up. This portrait is less about representation, and more about an encounter, a spark between two people, caught in ink. Like all great portraits, you're left wondering about the relationship between artist and sitter, and how their interaction continues to shape the art that we see being made today.