Azrael a spolecnici (Azrael and Companions) 1947

Josef Váchal made this print, *Azrael and Companions*, using a wood block. The carving is super intricate, almost obsessive in its detail. It's like he's not just making an image, but also mapping out some kind of hidden, inner world through the act of making. Look closely and you'll see how every little line, every tiny shape, has a life of its own. The texture is amazing, right? You can almost feel the grain of the wood, and the way the ink sits on the paper. There's a real physicality to it. The color isn't just color, it's mood. It’s this ghostly blue which seeps into every corner, giving it this eerie, dreamlike feel. I think of someone like Max Ernst, who also made a lot of art from wood, who similarly transformed this ancient craft into a playground for the imagination. Ultimately, with Váchal, there's a wonderful ambiguity, a sense that there are no easy answers. It's this openness that I really appreciate.