Herald Square: Nocturne c. 1933

Clifford Addams made this etching, Herald Square: Nocturne, with ink on paper. The composition is all about these scratchy, nervous lines, the artist captures a real sense of place. It's like he's trying to pin down the energy of the city. Look at the way the ink creates depth and shadow. The architecture is looming, but it's the figures in the foreground that really pull you in. See that little kid with the huge eyes? Something about the expression just grabs you. Addams is a master of texture, using different densities of lines to suggest everything from the damp city streets to the soft fabric of someone's coat. It reminds me of Whistler’s etchings of London. Ultimately, it's this embrace of ambiguity that makes the work so compelling. Like any good piece, it raises more questions than it answers.