Navajo Trader 1929

Wallace Leroy De Wolf made this small etching, Navajo Trader, at an unknown date. I'm drawn to the cross-hatching, the way the lines build up this figure from what seems like nothing, or close to it. It’s almost as if the trader is emerging from a mist. Take a look at the trader's hand, how it holds that tiny ring. It's rendered with such detail, it almost feels like you could reach out and touch it. The way De Wolf uses light and shadow gives the image depth, but it’s not too overworked. There’s an economy of line that keeps the image fresh, not muddy. This piece reminds me of Whistler's etchings, that same attention to detail and atmospheric effect. But De Wolf brings something else, a sense of human connection, even across time. It’s like he’s saying, "Look, here's a person, in a moment. It's not perfect, but it's real."