Auguste Rodin 1906

Anders Zorn made this etching, Auguste Rodin, with ink on paper. It’s just amazing how many different shades you can get with this medium, like a whole symphony played in grayscale. Zorn really knew his stuff, check out how the ink is denser in some parts and lighter in others. It’s all about the touch, you know? The subtle details in his rendering of Rodin's beard, and then that shadowy space behind the figure, show how the artist's hand can make marks that are both descriptive and expressive, but there's a looseness to it too, like he wasn't trying too hard to nail every little detail. This reminds me of a Whistler etching, where suggestion is more important than being too precise. With the etching technique, it’s about embracing the unexpected, letting the process guide you.