Myself as Mezzetin 1936

Prentiss Taylor made this lithograph, "Myself as Mezzetin," in 1936. It’s all graphite, a symphony in grayscale, with hard lines and soft smudges, capturing dreamlike scenes. I see this guy, maybe the artist himself, lounging in this wild getup with a guitar. He is like a character from a play. Is he getting ready to serenade someone? It is all very theatrical. And above him, another guy peers down, maybe at a church in the background. Is this a comment on society? I wonder, was Taylor thinking about identity, performance, and the roles we play? The composition is such a puzzle. Taylor is playing with layers, depth, and perspective, so there is no singular viewpoint. The soft shading creates a moody atmosphere, almost like a memory fading in and out of focus. It makes me think about Piranesi’s etchings, those impossible architectural spaces. Artists are always riffing off each other, creating new things from old ideas.