Mandshoved med høj hat 1904

This is ‘Man’s Head with Top Hat’ by Cilius Andersen, and I’m guessing it was made around 1900. It's an etching, so it would have been made with acid on a metal plate, it’s all about lines. Look at how he renders the shadows under the hat’s brim and around the man’s jowls. These almost scribbly clusters of lines really bring out the three-dimensionality of the man's face, as if he's catching the light just so. The surface is pretty spare, but it really sings, it reminds you that an artwork doesn't need to be splashy to speak volumes. The whole thing has this kind of old-world gravitas, like a Rembrandt self-portrait but smaller, and more intimate. The man's pipe seems to give him a thoughtful, composed air; he is not a man you would rush. I'm thinking of Whistler and other printmakers, as this piece embodies the intense craftsmanship and the art of mark-making, and serves as a quiet reminder of how much you can say with a few well-placed lines.