Bronislav Hubermann 1917

This is Emil Orlik’s portrait of Bronislav Hubermann, made with etching on paper. I really love the way Orlik uses line here, it feels so tentative and searching, like he's feeling his way around the form of Hubermann's face and the contours of his violin. Look closely and you can see the etched lines vary in weight and intensity. Some are barely-there whispers, while others are more assertive, digging into the paper, creating areas of shadow and depth. It makes me think about the physicality of mark-making, the way the artist’s hand moves across the plate, guided by intuition and feeling. The whole image has a kind of ghostly quality, like a memory or a dream. It reminds me a little of Whistler’s etchings, with their delicate lines and atmospheric effects. But Orlik brings his own sensibility to the process, capturing not just the likeness of Hubermann, but also something of his inner life, his passion, and his vulnerability. For me, that’s what art is all about.