Two Nudes with Horse 1918

Heinrich Campendonk made this woodcut, Two Nudes with Horse, with simple tools and a vision for the unexpected. The stark contrast between black and white creates a kind of visual drama that feels both primitive and sophisticated. I love how the artist carves away at the wood, leaving behind these bold, graphic shapes. There’s a real sense of texture here, like you could almost feel the grain of the wood under your fingertips. Look at the way the figures and the horse are so intertwined, almost like they’re part of the same dream. Those little details, the spots on the horse or the simple lines defining the bodies, speak volumes. It reminds me a bit of Paula Modersohn-Becker's earthy figures, but with a surreal twist. It’s like Campendonk is saying, “Let’s not take things too seriously, let’s see where our imagination takes us.”