Black Swans 1953

Maurice R. Bebb made “Black Swans” with printmaking techniques, though precisely when is a bit of a mystery. The charm for me lies in its textures. Look closely; those aren’t just flat blocks of color. The black of the swans shimmers with a stippled effect, a constellation of tiny marks. It's almost as if Bebb is reminding us that even the deepest blacks contain a multitude of shades. This same technique is used in the bright blue of the water. It's such a contrast to the flat, dark green of the treeline, giving a sense of depth. Notice the smallest swan, the one that sits just off center. There is a white marking to the right of the neck, and its beak is dipped beneath the surface of the water. The whole piece is imbued with such a wonderful, dream-like quality that I find myself drawn back to it time and again. Like with the work of someone like Milton Avery, there is a deceptively simple quality here.