William Butler Yeats: fourth plate Possibly 1919

This is a portrait etching of William Butler Yeats, made by Augustus John. You know, the first thing that hits you is the sheer number of lines, all those tiny scratches creating tone and form. Imagine the artist, hunched over a metal plate, carefully dragging a needle to create the image. I bet John was totally absorbed in the process. Looking, scratching, proving, inking, and printing. Like a dance with the material, right? You can almost feel John’s breath on the plate as he works, his focus intense. What was he trying to capture? The poet's weariness? His intensity? There’s a vulnerability in the eyes, and the soft bow tie, it's very intimate. It reminds me that art is such a conversation across time. One artist responding to another, feeding off each other’s energy and ideas. And here we are, years later, still adding our voices to the mix, creating new meanings and possibilities.