Sappo 1917

Anders Zorn made this etching, called Sappo, using the most gorgeous scratchy marks that feel both intimate and expansive at the same time. I think it’s an image of a woman sitting with her dog at the water's edge. Imagine Zorn bending over a plate, dragging a tool across it. The lines are both economical and sensual. Like he is trying to capture the feeling of the water lapping around the rocks, the dog's fur, and the woman's skin. His mark-making reminds me of Van Gogh’s drawings. It’s like he’s searching for a way to depict the essence of the scene. What I love about Zorn’s work is the way he uses line to suggest form and light. The way he handles the shading, the way he captures the texture of the rocks, and the way he renders the water—so alive. I imagine artists looking at this today and feeling that electricity. It’s like we are all in conversation, riffing off each other, trying to figure out how to make something beautiful and meaningful out of simple materials.