Veranda 1902

Edvard Munch made this etching, *Veranda*, sometime in his career, and now it lives at the Art Institute of Chicago. The statue in the garden is etched with such a dark weight, such a heavy line, especially when contrasted with the wispy foliage around it. I can just imagine Munch outside on a breezy day, and the way the acid must have bitten into the plate. You can almost feel the sun on your skin. The process of etching can be so physical—it’s all about pressure and release, and watching the image emerge from the metal. I'm thinking about the marks of the etching needle, each tiny stroke adding up to a whole scene, a whole feeling. The dark lines that build up the image speak to me about weight and depth. He reminds me of other artists who grappled with the human figure like Rodin, and I see him trying to capture some kind of essence. Maybe he also thought about the garden, nature, and how these fit together.