Nieuwjaarswens van György Révész 1933

Kornél Révész made this New Year’s greeting card for György Révész, probably in 1934, using etching. What strikes me is the delicate process of scratching into the metal plate to create these light, airy lines. You can almost feel Révész’s hand moving across the surface. The whole image has a ghostly, architectural feel. A tower of drawers rises above a man hunched over his work, maybe an architect or craftsman. Those lines, though, they're not precise. They waver, suggest, imply. And that little blur of ink at the base of the tower? It gives the whole structure a sense of movement, like it's about to take off or crumble. It reminds me of Piranesi’s etchings, or even some of Goya’s darker prints. Ultimately, it’s this tension between precision and looseness, between structure and chaos, that makes this little print so compelling. It shows that art is really an ongoing experiment, and it invites you to bring your own questions and ideas to the table.