Portret van Félicien Rops 1872 - 1934

This is a portrait of Félicien Rops, made by Armand Rassenfosse, but we don't know exactly when. What strikes me about this print is the way Rassenfosse uses line - it's almost like the figure is emerging out of a rainstorm of strokes. There's a real tension between the precision of the face, with all its little details, and the wildness of the lines surrounding it. Look at the way the lines around the face almost seem to vibrate, they're not just static, they have a real energy! The varying weight of each stroke gives the impression that some marks were made with more pressure than others, suggesting the movement of the artist's hand. It’s like he’s trying to capture not just what Rops looked like, but something about his spirit, too. This kind of mark-making reminds me of the work of someone like Jasper Johns, who also uses repetition and gesture to build up an image. It's a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, across time and between artists.