Landscape 1935 - 1943

Mortimer Borne created this landscape using etching, a medium known for its intricate lines and tonal subtleties. The composition is dominated by horizontal planes of land that cascade downward with a calculated irregularity, leading the eye through a stark, wintry scene. The leafless trees, rendered with delicate, wiry lines, punctuate the horizon and create a visual rhythm that is both organic and structured. Notice how Borne employs hatching and cross-hatching to define the contours of the hills and the texture of the barren vegetation. This technique not only adds depth but also evokes a sense of tactile quality. The monochromatic palette contributes to the overall mood of quiet desolation. The landscape becomes a study in contrasts, where light and shadow play across the etched surface to reveal the underlying formal structure. In its starkness, this print emphasizes how the artist uses line and form to construct a complex, emotional landscape. The very act of etching itself, with its deliberate process of incising lines, serves as a metaphor for the artist's introspective engagement with the natural world.