Untitled (Female Nude) c. 1935

This linocut of a female nude was made by Pauline White Peavy, but we don't know when. Looking at it, it seems the whiteness wasn’t painted, but was the result of carving away the black. I find that so fascinating, to create depth and form by taking something away! The figure is built from the blackness, a mass which is then defined by the negative space around the outside. There is no visible detail on the face. The heavy black of the figure contrasts sharply with the fine white lines surrounding her. The use of a very limited colour palette makes the image more striking. It’s a piece that’s confident in its simplicity. The composition as a whole reminds me of some of the graphic work of someone like Elizabeth Catlett. But whilst Catlett's work is politically engaged, Peavy's feels more personal, more focused on the simple beauty of the human form. But who knows? Maybe I’m just projecting!