Errante 1926

Adolfo Bellocq made this print called “Errante” – which means wanderer, or vagrant - sometime in the early 20th century. The figure is etched with such detail that it feels as though I can see every contour of his face. I wonder about the artist’s state of mind as he worked on this? Maybe he was pondering about this character, this "Errante." Is he a real guy that Bellocq knows? The face has a haunted quality – he is weathered, and experienced. I’m drawn to the way the textures capture so much character; the softness of the hand, for example, contrasting with the lines etched deep into the face. The way the lines carve and cross over each other reminds me of a Franciso Goya print. What a beautiful way to see! These types of prints let us look at life in all its complexity, but in simple monochromatic tones.