A Vermont Village 1923

Childe Hassam made this print, 'A Vermont Village,' using etching. Look at how he’s used hatching to build up the image, almost like he’s knitting the scene together, thread by thread. The texture here is so compelling. The needle scratches a burr into the plate, creating tiny ridges that catch the ink. You can see it most in the sky, where the rain is coming down in these dark, purposeful lines. It makes me think about the act of mark-making, the way each line has its own weight and direction. See the way he indicates the forms in the foliage, or the subtle gradations of shadow falling across the road in the foreground? Etching’s like having a conversation with the metal, a give-and-take where you’re never quite sure what the plate will give back to you. Think of Whistler’s etchings or even some of Käthe Kollwitz’ prints, and you can see artists grappling with similar concerns; how to capture a world with just a few, well-placed lines. Ultimately, art’s an ongoing, evolving dialogue, you know?