De Notenkraker, 17 augustus 1907 / Schijn en wezen Possibly 1907 - 1917

This image, *De Notenkraker, 17 augustus 1907 / Schijn en wezen*, was made by Albert Hahn. It's from 1907 and looks like it’s made with lithographic ink on paper. I'm drawn to the texture, the kind of slightly grainy feel you get with litho. The light isn't just on the surface; it feels like it's embedded in the paper itself. Look at the cross-hatching on the hill, it almost feels like you could reach out and touch it. It's like Hahn is not just showing us something, but giving us a physical experience of this political drama. And then there's that pointed rifle, the main compositional line, it cuts right through the image connecting the soldier to a veiled figure, an allegory of sorts, who meets the barrel head on like some sort of ominous kiss. It’s a really tense moment, and the starkness of the black ink really amps up the drama. Think of it as a silent scream printed on newsprint. It makes me think of Goya's Disasters of War series. These are both artists who use image making to convey the terrible experience of war.