The Audience 1946

Eric Algot Bengtz made this small, monochromatic print of an audience using fine lines and cross-hatching. You can almost see his hand moving across the plate, incising those marks, building up the image bit by bit. I wonder what it was like for him to create this scene, trying to capture the varied expressions and postures of these viewers. Were they at the theater, a lecture, or some other public event? Notice the details. The guys in the front row are staring intently, while up in the balcony, some look bored or distracted. Maybe Bengtz was thinking about the different ways people engage with art and performance, or maybe he was just fascinated by the human face, like I am! I love the texture he achieved with those tiny lines, creating depth and shadow. This print reminds me of other artists who explore the theater of life, like Daumier. Artists are always in dialogue, riffing off each other's ideas across time. And I think it's beautiful.