Bretonsche baai 1927

Bernard Essers made this dynamic woodcut, Bretonsche baai, using stark black lines to capture a scene by the sea. I can imagine Essers carefully carving away at the woodblock, each cut precise and deliberate, defining the shapes of the trees, rocks, and water. The contrast is amazing. The solid blacks against the stark white paper create this scene that is almost a dreamscape, so atmospheric. The hatching on the distant hills and sky make the composition all of a piece. I wonder what Essers was thinking about as he made this print? Was he remembering a walk along the coast, or inventing a landscape from memory? The lone figure, so tiny on the shore, makes me think this landscape is more about feeling than it is about place. It reminds me of other graphic artists like Emil Nolde who used printmaking to capture the beauty and drama of the natural world. It is through those black marks that we can almost feel the sea breeze and the warmth of the sun.