John Hay 1904

Anders Zorn made this etching of John Hay sometime around 1904, using a technique that feels a bit like drawing with light. I can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the plate, digging into the surface to create these lines. I wonder what Zorn was thinking about as he worked on this portrait. Was he trying to capture Hay's serious demeanor, or was he more interested in the play of light and shadow on his face? Look at how the lines vary in thickness and direction, creating depth and texture. There is a sense of the ephemeral, as if the image could dissolve back into the darkness at any moment. I am reminded of Whistler in the mark-making, but also Goya in the emotional tone. Painters are always in conversation with each other across time, aren't they? Each one building on what came before, pushing the boundaries of what painting can do. This print shows that artists are always thinking, feeling, and responding to the world around them in their own unique ways.