Siamese tweeling 1924

This print, Siamese tweeling, was made by Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, using a graphic technique to create a composition of figures. There's something stark and declarative about the way Mesquita lays down his marks; the contrast of the figures against the textured ground. Look at the profiles of the three figures, the one on the left facing away from the conjoined twins; their mouths are open wide, eyes wide. The surface of the print has this wonderful grainy texture, which feels both deliberate and accidental, lending a kind of depth to the composition. The lines are thin, almost frail, but together they create a powerful image. It's like he’s not just depicting a scene, but also revealing the very act of making, similar to the prints of Edvard Munch, where the process is part of the emotional content. This piece reminds us that art is never finished, only abandoned.