Repose (Ruhende vom Rücken) 1913

Wilhelm Lehmbruck made this etching called Repose, we think at some point in the early 20th century. Look at the way the lines don't just describe the figure, they seem to find it, like a sculptor coaxing a form out of stone. The figure is spare, simple, but so evocative. You can almost feel the coolness of the metal plate, the pressure of the tool creating the lines. It’s all about texture, isn't it? The way the light catches the surface, the subtle gradations of tone. Notice that small dark patch at the top of the plate, it’s a stray mark from the process, it doesn’t ‘mean’ anything but the feeling of the whole piece rests on these little details. Lehmbruck's sensitivity reminds me of Rodin, especially the way Rodin used drawing as a kind of sculptural exploration, like thinking with his hands. And like Rodin, Lehmbruck leaves us with questions, not answers. Art isn’t about pinning things down, it’s about opening them up.