From Florence 1913

This etching, From Florence, by Hans Meid, buzzes with nervous energy. It’s got that tight hatching, like a swarm of tiny lines all working together to build form, shadow, and a sense of place. I imagine Meid standing in a Florentine street, squinting in the sun, rapidly scratching the image onto the plate. Those figures on the balcony – are they lovers? Performers? And what’s going on down below? There’s a theatrical drama playing out in the streets. The architecture looms, a solid backdrop to the fleeting gestures of human life. I can almost feel the heat rising off the stone and hear the distant chatter of the city. It reminds me of Piranesi, but with a touch of German Expressionism thrown in. Artists like Meid, they’re always in conversation with the past, pulling it apart and putting it back together in their own way. You can see how one artist can spark another.