Christus met doornenkroon 1891 - 1943

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this stark image of Christ with a crown of thorns as a woodcut print. Look at how the cuts in the wood create lines that build up the image from dark to light. I really get the sense of the cutting tool moving through the wood. I’m struck by how the face emerges from the darkness. See how the lines radiating from behind his head create this halo effect? And the crown of thorns itself is a mass of intricate lines, almost like a barbed wire. The lines on his face are more gentle; they give him a sorrowful expression, with eyes downcast. The blank areas become these planes, creating a sense of form. The whole print reminds me a little of the German Expressionists, like Käthe Kollwitz, who used woodcuts to convey powerful emotional messages. The process of making a print is so different from painting, and I think those differences really shine through here.