Perseus Beheading Medusa, I 1944

André Racz made this etching of Perseus beheading Medusa sometime in the 20th century, and right away you can see the artist is interested in line, letting one continuous mark describe the scene in this fantastical mythological drama. The surface has a kind of nervous energy, each character built from frantic, spindly marks. Look at the center where Perseus is holding the head of Medusa aloft, like a trophy, the artist uses a network of lines to build up tone and volume. The lines here create the effect of movement, like the writhing snakes Medusa is known for. The etching feels surrealist, like a Picasso line drawing, but more unsettling and frenetic. Racz reminds us that art isn’t about perfection or accuracy; it’s about embracing the chaos and ambiguity of life, just as we find in this wild, tangled scene.