Portræt af maleren Henrik Schouboe 1907

Oluf Hartmann made this etching, titled ‘Portrait of the painter Henrik Schouboe’, sometime around the turn of the century. Look closely, and you'll notice how the entire image is built up from these tiny, hatched lines. It’s like Hartmann is feeling his way around the contours of Schouboe’s face, mapping out the shadows and light with delicate scratches. I love the way the etched lines create a kind of shimmering effect, especially around the eyes and forehead. The image feels intimate and immediate, like a fleeting glimpse of a friend caught in a moment of deep thought. Hartmann isn't just showing us what Schouboe looks like; he's giving us a sense of his inner world. It reminds me a little of some of Whistler’s etchings, where he uses a similar kind of tonal approach to create atmosphere. You can see the artist feeling their way around the subject, responding to the process. It's this vulnerability and openness that makes the image so compelling.