Social Security 1936

This woodcut print by Stefan Hirsch is a scene cast in deep blacks and crisp whites. Imagine the artist carving away at the woodblock, each groove and line carefully considered, slowly building up the form. There's an enigmatic figure, perhaps a wise elder, seated and holding what looks like a book. I wonder what Hirsch might have been thinking as he chiseled away, revealing this character. Was he imagining a future, or maybe reflecting on the past? Look at how the lines create texture and depth. The sharp contrast between the black and white gives it this dramatic feel. The way the light falls across the figure's face and hands emphasizes the weight and history in the image. I think the artist is telling us that the things we hold onto are sometimes what hold us back. And maybe that's what Social Security means for him. It reminds me of other German Expressionists of the time, like Käthe Kollwitz, who also used woodcut as a medium for social commentary. These artists were all responding to their world, trying to make sense of it through their art, adding to the conversation.