The Marquis Giovanni Visconti Venosta 1922

Walter Tittle made this drypoint etching, The Marquis Giovanni Visconti Venosta. What strikes me here is the directness of line, and how the image seems to emerge through a process of working into and around the form. Look at how the shadow behind the Marquis is achieved through hatching, a kind of cross-stitch effect that builds density and weight. You can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the plate. The texture is key. The artist uses the barest of means to create a sense of depth and presence. Just a few lines to suggest the cut of the suit, and then that concentrated focus on the face, especially the eyes. I love how the artist has let the blank paper breathe. It's like the Marquis is emerging from the ether. I'm reminded of Lucian Freud's etchings, the way he dug into the plate to reveal the raw, unvarnished truth of the subject, of course, this piece has a softness and romanticism which Freud would have hated!