The Posada Kitchen, Pancorbo Possibly 1928 - 1929

W. Russell Flint made this etching of "The Posada Kitchen, Pancorbo" and the lines are really doing the work here. It's all about how he uses them to build up this space, right? Check out the floor, how the lines give it depth, the perspective, the feeling of worn stone. It reminds me of how I sometimes build up my paintings, layer upon layer, mark upon mark, until the thing starts to breathe. Here, the lines are so delicate, almost like whispers. But they create this whole world, this whole mood. And that light! See how it catches the edge of the mantlepiece and drapes the figure to the left. You can almost feel the warmth of the fire, the quiet of the room. There’s something about the directness of etching that chimes with the work of Paula Rego, who also looked to everyday life to construct complex compositions. Like Rego, this piece shows that art doesn't always need to shout. Sometimes, it just needs to listen, observe, and then, with a few well-placed lines, share what it has seen.