Illustratie voor Xenophon's 'Anabasis' 1920

This is Johannes Frederik Engelbert ten Klooster’s woodcut print to illustrate Xenophon's 'Anabasis'. It’s all about the bold blacks and whites, isn’t it? The composition is mostly just defined by these graphic choices, and I love that. Ten Klooster carves out his forms with a real confidence; the textural contrasts create drama. The trees on the left look like lightning bolts, and the procession moves in a dynamic push and pull to the horizon. He varies his marks, so some areas read as flat and abstract, while others reveal intricate details. The shapes are not blended, they are what they are. Each one feels self-contained but part of a larger narrative. I think of Kandinsky and his woodcuts, he also embraced these bold contrasts. Ten Klooster is speaking to that tradition, and it keeps the conversation alive.