"Jesus sera en agonie jusqu'a la fin du monde..." 1926

Georges Rouault made this print, "Jesus sera en agonie jusqu'a la fin du monde...", with ink and paper, and a whole lot of feeling. Look at how he's built up the image, line by line, to create a visceral depiction of agony, a kind of spiritual process. The ink here is thick, almost velvety in places, but also translucent, letting the paper breathe. The marks are raw, urgent, you can almost hear the squeak of the tool across the plate. See the way the shadows cling to the figure's form, how the artist uses light and dark to pull you in? Take a look at the face; those eyes seem to plead and accuse all at once. Rouault reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who wasn't afraid to show the tough stuff. Art isn't always about pretty pictures; it can be a place to wrestle with the big questions, to sit with the uncomfortable truths, and maybe, just maybe, find a glimmer of hope in the darkness.