Engraving No. 85
Pierre Courtin
French, 1921–2012
(1948)
An engraving in which Courtin assembles intersecting, architectural lines into a compact, abstract lattice that explores volume and tension on a small sheet.
You first notice a tight web of angular, wireframe volumes—some lines etched faint and ghostly, others laid down in assertive black—that tilt and crisscross to produce an energetic, scaffold‑like depth.
Made in 1948, the print translates postwar interest in constructivist geometry and architectural structure into the precise, reproducible language of engraving, showing how pure line can map space and movement.
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
plate: 3 5/16 x 3 5/16" (8.4 x 8.4 cm); sheet: 6 7/16 x 4 15/16" (16.3 x 12.6 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Purchase
Accession
111.1949
Palette
Exhibitions
