The Seven Ages of Man c. 1935 - 1943

This striking black ink print, The Seven Ages of Man, was made by Donato Rico. I find myself getting lost in its swirling patterns. Imagine Rico, carefully carving away at the block, each line a decisive move. It’s a dance between control and chance, isn’t it? Look at the central figure, radiating light, with its elongated and symmetrical body, almost as if it is on the verge of disappearing altogether. It certainly captures something essential about being human. The way it seems to float in the center. The other vignettes surrounding him, of various periods in life, are all set against a backdrop of celestial-like imagery, which reminds me of the work of other artists from the period, such as Jacob Lawrence, who combined bold, simple forms with complex narratives. There's a sense of both observation and symbolic representation, and, if anything, it's the contrast of light and dark. The lines guide my eye, and makes me wonder what the artist felt while making it. The beauty and intensity of art-making is the connection that it creates between artists across time.