Old Man Facing Left 1959

Anatoli Kaplan made this striking portrait of an old man using lithography. It's a testament to how much expression you can wring out of black and white. The texture is built from what looks like tiny, frantic marks. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the stone, scraping and pressing. There's something really immediate about the marks, like they’ve captured a fleeting moment of thought or emotion. Look at the beard, how the lines are both wild and controlled, suggesting a lifetime of wisdom and weariness. I wonder what tool he used to create these marks? The way Kaplan uses light and shadow is masterful, creating depth and volume with just a few simple strokes. It reminds me a little of Käthe Kollwitz's prints, that same raw, emotional power. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection; it’s about feeling, about conveying something true and human.