Planning in Central Park c. 1925

Irving Wolfson made this print, Planning in Central Park, sometime in the mid 20th century. It looks like he built this whole scene up with these tiny, energetic marks, kind of like he's knitting the image together, stitch by stitch. You can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the plate. Look at the way he’s used line to create depth and shadow. See those tiny lines clustered under the tree? They create this almost velvety darkness, which contrasts with the open sky above. Notice the way the cross hatching gives shape to the figures on the bench. There's a real tension in how much detail he uses, and where he uses it. It's not just about representing the scene, but also about the pleasure of mark-making itself. Wolfson’s prints share this intimate quality with other artists, like Milton Avery, who also found beauty in the everyday. It’s the kind of work that reminds us that art isn't about perfection, but about process, and about the artist's unique way of seeing the world.