"Fiere, autant qu'un vivant, de sa noble stature..." 1925 - 1927

This etching by Georges Rouault pictures a skeleton in grey and black ink. The skeleton seems proud, its form pressed up against a window, shutters on either side. You can feel Rouault’s hand in it. I imagine him hunched over the plate, pushing the needle through the ground, making that scraping noise. I bet he was thinking about mortality, but maybe also making fun of it. There’s humor in the way the skeleton’s jaw juts forward, the curve of the bones, and the overall grittiness. The heavy lines and stark contrasts create a sense of unease, but it’s also kind of beautiful, right? Rouault's work often has this mix of sacred and profane, like he’s wrestling with big questions about life and death, but doing it with a wink. He was part of a whole conversation of artists, from the past and into the future, grappling with similar themes. I am sure he was inspired by artists like Goya and Daumier, who also knew how to make darkness sing. In the end, it’s all about keeping the conversation alive, questioning, and creating!