Chinese Card Players (plate B) 1936

John Winkler made this etching called Chinese Card Players, and it’s all about capturing a scene, a moment in time. You can almost feel him standing there, watching the game unfold. I'm thinking about the making here, about the artist's hand moving across the plate, and how that energy translates to us. Winkler's marks are like whispers, creating depth and shadow with these thin lines. Look at how he builds up the texture on the floor, the lines dense and directional. I can imagine him digging into that plate, thinking about light and form, creating a feeling of depth. Etching lets you be so precise, so deliberate, and you can see that in the way he's captured the expressions of the players, the way the light falls on their faces. You have to admire artists like Winkler, who are always looking, always experimenting, pushing the boundaries of their media to show us something new about the world.