Portrait of a Woman 1920

Curator: Right now, we’re looking at Helen Dahm’s striking woodcut from 1920, simply titled, "Portrait of a Woman." Editor: Oof, the emotional charge on this one! Those heavy, dark outlines and that piercing stare… It feels like she’s seeing straight through me, like an X-ray of the soul. Intense doesn't even begin to cover it. Curator: Absolutely. Dahm's work often possesses that quality. This piece utilizes the stark contrast typical of woodcut prints to really hone in on the psychological depth. Note the symbols, particularly the subtle triangle near the upper corner, almost hidden by the top frame, a potent symbol that’s been associated with feminine strength. Editor: I love that detail. The texture, too. You can almost feel the grain of the wood she carved, that struggle between control and the natural world fighting through... Gives her face a wonderful raw energy. Do you think the swirling pattern behind her hints at something about her state of mind, like hidden emotions threatening to burst? Curator: That's an intriguing point, as those swirls could be the stylized interpretation of flower vines commonly found in folk art and symbolist paintings. Editor: Maybe…or maybe they’re those emotions made visible. Either way, the graphic boldness of it all keeps pulling me in. Curator: Dahm created this piece during a particularly transformative period. Around the 1920s, she began to create artworks and publications promoting spiritual reflection. These spiritual and emotional struggles are palpable within this stark representation. Editor: Right! And it gives it such weight! This woman’s not just a face, she's a story, a complex interior landscape revealed. There's a universal quality to that suffering and to her determination. What a striking, visceral image to carry forward with us. Curator: Indeed. There’s an enduring, human quality to Dahm’s exploration, making it continually relevant today.