for love of: icart

as a little girl i was captivated by the dry point etchings of louis icart. its the first piece of art i remember seeing and wanting to poses - it was hanging on the post of an antiques dealer's tent at the brimfield show... i was probably about 8. fascinated, i spent the next bit of time researching and looking at his etchings. i loved the long delicate lines of the women and they were always dressed so beautifully with such a strong but feminine presence. in my 8 yr old mind, they were perfect....the fact that there were often dogs in his images didnt hurt either. my mother bought me a reproduction of one of his prints for my bedroom. some years later and it still hangs in my childhood bedroom. 

my tastes may have changed, and at this moment im not sure exactly where there would be a place for them in my decor...though if i had a very grand bathroom i would like just one there and nothing else at all. as i revisited many of his images for this post i was struck by the same things i was as an 8 yr old - elegance above all, long lean lines, confidence and beauty. but this time i couldnt help notice a slightly provocative darkness in them...