Two Seated Figures

About this work

This etching shows two men sitting side by side on a bench. One smokes a pipe. The other holds a hat in his lap. Their clothes look old—ruffled collars and long coats. The artist made thin, scratchy lines. This style is called drypoint. He pulled the ink off the plate by hand. That’s why the shadows look so soft. The lines catch light in a way that feels real. Try this: look up Jacques Callot on the National Gallery of Art, Washington site.