Midnight Duty c. 1914

Eugene Higgins made this etching called 'Midnight Duty' and it feels like something slowly emerging. A figure in the darkness, revealed by faint light, standing in an arched doorway. I can imagine Higgins hunched over the plate, using the etching needle to create a network of fine lines, building up tone and shadow. He must have been thinking about light a lot, with these marks, scratching away at the metal, trying to capture the way it falls on the figure's face and clothing. There is a somber mood with the stark contrasts between light and dark, and I wonder if he was inspired by other artists who worked with similar themes of social realism. There is a timeless quality in this piece. It reminds us that art making is an act of translation, we are always interpreting and reinterpreting the world around us through the lens of our own experiences.