Bust - Anders Zorn

A 1916 etching by Swedish artist Anders Zorn, featuring a female nude rendered with his signature parallel-line technique.

Anders Zorn was a Swedish painter and printmaker who achieved international success for his portraits and nudes. This 1916 etching, titled Bust, demonstrates his specific approach to the medium. Zorn used a series of parallel diagonal lines to build form and suggest light. This technique differs from traditional cross-hatching. It creates a sense of movement and atmosphere without relying on heavy outlines. The artist often etched directly onto the plate from life, which contributed to the spontaneous quality of his prints. The subject is a young woman shown from the chest up. She looks downwards with a quiet expression. Zorn used the white of the paper to represent the strongest light hitting her shoulder and forehead. The background is composed of dense, dark strokes that provide contrast to the figure. These marks are energetic and visible, showing the physical process of the artist working on the copper plate. The variation in line thickness suggests different textures, from the softness of skin to the dark void of the background. Zorn produced nearly 300 etchings during his career. He often returned to the same subjects found in his oil paintings. His prints are known for their economy of line. He could suggest complex volumes and textures with relatively few marks. This work is a late example of his printmaking. It shows the confidence of his mature style. The plate is signed and dated in the lower left corner. The composition is tightly cropped, focusing the viewer's attention on the play of light across the model's form.