Sigbert Marzynski 

Curator: Here we have Max Liebermann's portrait, "Sigbert Marzynski," rendered as an etching. Editor: It has this sketch-like, unfinished air. A certain vulnerability, maybe? I get the feeling he’s caught mid-thought, before the social mask is fully in place. Curator: Precisely. Liebermann masterfully utilizes the etching technique to achieve this impression. The density and directionality of the etched lines describe not just form but also texture. Consider the hatching around the eyes and mouth – it gives the portrait depth. Editor: Yes, and the sparseness elsewhere creates a sense of light, almost like he’s emerging from a fog, it makes me feel very present in the same space as him. It keeps it feeling… alive, you know? It feels like more than just looking at a portrait. Curator: And alive is exactly what Liebermann seeks. It's his embrace of Impressionistic principles that brings immediacy to this traditional format. There’s also a wonderful tension between the formality suggested by his suit and tie, and the relative informality of the etched line. It's almost confrontational with how immediate it feels. Editor: Agreed, the formal attire places him, but that direct gaze and the loose line work bring him right into our space. It’s a compelling balance and very direct. Curator: A fine synthesis indeed. A masterful balance of the classic and the modern in terms of artmaking, but also of his persona in a specific social climate. It makes this quite evocative, and deeply personal to both its subject, and anyone viewing. Editor: Yes, "evocative" is a perfect word for it. I feel almost complicit, like I'm interrupting a very private moment, don't you think? A lot like the feeling I get seeing film photography, or other snapshots of someones life, it's amazing that can translate from a traditional technique to an image with such a transient emotion attached.