Melon Day 1937

Don Emil Glasell made this etching, Melon Day, in 1937. Look at all those tiny marks, like lots of little dark hairs all crowded together, see how they describe all these folks in the rural landscape. I imagine Glasell, bent over his plate, carefully, laboriously scratching into the surface with his etching needle. You have to think hard as an artist about the values, which areas you want to be darker and lighter in the print, knowing the ink will fill all those tiny cut lines. It’s a real dance of intention and chance! I wonder if he spent time around farms, maybe at a county fair? There's something wonderfully awkward and amusing about the way he's captured the scene. All the figures seem to have turned up to the melon day! There is the sense of a collective experience and shared excitement. A bit like how artists gather at openings, or museums! We are all in this together.