De krijger 1920

Johannes Frederik Engelbert ten Klooster made this woodcut, *De krijger*, which translates to *The Warrior*, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It looks like the artist has carved away at the block to leave this heroic figure standing out against a stormy sky and a mountainous landscape. I’m imagining ten Klooster working away with his tools, pushing and pulling, inking, printing, pulling the paper back. I sympathize with him and the effort needed to produce a final image. The marks are so stark and contrasted, black on white. The warrior stands tall, but there is a vulnerability suggested by the tilt of his head. The texture and physicality of the wood become really important, don't they? The way the artist has dealt with the material tells the story. There's a conversation happening here. It’s an exchange of ideas across time, isn't it?