The New Ballad 1903

Anders Zorn made this etching, "The New Ballad," using quick, light marks on a metal plate. You can almost see him in the studio, thinking, what if I angle the lines *this* way? I love the way the faces emerge from the darkness through many tiny strokes. It’s a kind of dance, a back and forth, between what’s visible and what’s hidden. I imagine Zorn thinking, how can I capture the way light reveals and conceals? What does that tell us about these people? Are they listening intently? The darkness and light makes the scene feel intimate. It makes me think about the long line of artists who have used etching to explore the human figure, from Rembrandt to Käthe Kollwitz, each with their own way of seeing and feeling. When you make a print you get to multiply and share your vision, again and again. It's like joining an ongoing conversation, a chorus of voices across time.