Seated Woman 

Georg Schrimpf's Seated Woman is a woodcut print, a relatively accessible medium at the time. The stark contrast between the cut-away areas and the bold lines speaks to the directness of the process. Woodcut is an inherently graphic medium. The artist carves into a block of wood, leaving raised areas that will receive ink. This is then pressed onto paper. Look closely at the image; the tactile quality of the wood is evident in the slightly rough edges of the lines. The image itself has a powerful social context. The simplified forms and flattened perspective reflect a broader modernist interest in non-Western art and a rejection of academic traditions. Schrimpf's choice of woodcut aligns with the German Expressionists, who embraced printmaking for its democratic potential. It allowed for wider distribution of art, making it accessible to a broader audience beyond the traditional elite. Ultimately, understanding Schrimpf's Seated Woman involves recognizing the significance of the woodcut as a medium, its connection to social movements, and the artist's conscious decision to engage with a craft-based process.