Dinner Time 1934

Paul Busch made this etching, called ‘Dinner Time’, using black ink on paper. Look at all those marks, the hatching, the cross-hatching! It’s a process of building up tone, bit by bit. You can see that Busch knew his way around a plate. The tonal range is very narrow, creating a tight, claustrophobic feel. But, the overall effect is balanced and full. The artist’s focus isn’t on any bravura mark-making, but on patient, honest, mark-by-mark description, and the rendering of a scene from life. The figure at the centre of the composition with the jug, the folds of his overalls, feels a little bit wonky, like he’s slightly out of proportion. But it kind of adds to the overall effect – the feeling of an ordinary scene, rendered with everyday attentiveness. Artists like Kathe Kollwitz come to mind. A sense of empathy and humility. Art isn’t always about showing off.