François Bonvin

Focused on the introspection and privacy of etching, this self-portrait shows the artist alone in a darkened interior. A screen, used to evenly diffuse light, separates him from the room’s only lamp. His forward posture and intense focus suggest that etching is a solitary and meditative practice.

Bonvin often enhanced the subject matter of his drawings and prints through a careful choice of paper. This impression is on vellum, a luxury material made from animal skin. Its smooth surface emphasized the dense layers of inky lines, encouraging the same sort of close study in which the artist himself was engaged.