Saint Ludmila 1958

Jirí Balcar made this print, Saint Ludmila, in 1958. It’s a linocut, which means the artist carved the image out of a sheet of linoleum, kind of like a big, soft stamp. Look at the way Balcar uses thick, bold lines to create this intense, almost overwhelming composition. The black ink sits heavy on the paper, giving it a real tactile presence. You can almost feel the pressure of the artist's hand as he gouged out those lines. Notice how the light peeks through the dense, dark areas, creating a stark contrast. It reminds me of the German Expressionist woodcuts, like those by Emil Nolde, where the raw, emotional power of the image comes from the directness and simplicity of the technique. There’s a sense of urgency here, a feeling that Balcar was trying to capture a fleeting moment or emotion before it disappeared. It’s this kind of immediacy that makes printmaking so exciting. It’s a conversation between the artist, the material, and the moment.