Pyramus and Thisbe Possibly 1906

Augustus John made this print, Pyramus and Thisbe, with etching, layering strokes to create dark tones and a sense of depth. I imagine John hunched over the metal plate, pulling lines into the surface, then dipping it in acid, each bite deepening the marks. Look at how the figures emerge from a thicket of strokes. It's as if they are half-formed, caught between shadow and light. He probably built up these tiny lines slowly and carefully, letting the acid do its thing, testing and re-testing. I think he’s wrestling with something here, trying to capture the fleeting quality of a moment. There's a raw energy in the lines, a feeling of searching. That sense of searching connects to other etchers, like Rembrandt, or even Picasso in his printmaking years, all trying to find form through the density of the line. Artists—we're all in this messy, beautiful conversation, trying to make sense of the world one mark at a time.