Framed Drypoint, Street Motif, 1918 by Eric Detthow

Frame dimensions approx. 32 x 34,5 cm.
Plate dimensions approx. 16.5 x 21 cm.
 
Eric Detthow
Street Motif, 1918
Drypoint, signed and dated
A quiet, atmospheric drypoint made in 1918, depicting a sparsely populated street scene reduced to its essentials. A lone figure, a tree, a suggestion of lamplight. The composition is economical but deeply expressive, relying on texture and tone rather than detail.
Eric Detthow was known for his graphic work and his ability to capture mood with minimal means. Here, the drypoint medium does much of the work: soft burrs and broken lines give the scene a sense of distance and stillness, somewhere between observation and memory.