November 1917

Julie de Graag made this woodcut, November, in 1917, and it's a lesson in the power of simplicity. The palette is so restrained, just a few earth tones, but the impact is huge. Look at how she's handled the sunflower's face; it's a mass of tiny shapes, each one precisely carved to create this incredible texture. You can almost feel the roughness of the seeds. Then, the petals are these sharp, angular forms, jutting out against the smooth brown background. There's a tension there, a real push and pull. It feels very controlled, but not in a stiff way. More like a careful dance between intention and letting the material speak. De Graag's work reminds me a little of some of the Vienna Secession artists, like Koloman Moser, who were also playing with simplified forms and graphic impact. But she brings her own quiet intensity to it. It's a beautiful reminder that you don't need a million colors or fancy techniques to make something truly powerful.