Boys Digging for Rats 1901

Timothy Cole made this work, Boys Digging for Rats, using engraving, which is so cool because it's all about the process, the patient carving away to reveal an image. It’s at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The way Cole uses black and white here creates this moody atmosphere. Look at how the light catches the boys’ faces and the dogs’ fur. The texture feels almost palpable; you can practically feel the grit and dirt under their fingernails. My eye keeps getting drawn to the area around the dogs. There's a real sense of movement and chaos there, a flurry of fur and excitement. It reminds me of Goya, who wasn't afraid to depict the darker aspects of life. Both artists embrace a certain ambiguity, inviting us to find our own meaning in the scene.