F. Hodler 1904

Emil Orlik created this woodcut titled "F. Hodler" in 1904. Imagine Orlik hunched over a block of wood, tools in hand, carefully carving away to reveal this image. The contrast between the black ink and the off-white paper creates such a striking image of Ferdinand Hodler in profile. You can see the texture of the wood grain, giving the print a tactile quality. The marks are so intentional, each cut contributing to the overall composition. It's amazing how much detail Orlik captured with such a limited palette! I wonder what it was like for Orlik to portray another artist in this way? It's like a conversation between artists, each influencing the other through their unique perspectives and techniques. Painting and printmaking are like that, a constant dialogue across time, where artists borrow, steal, and reinvent, pushing the boundaries of what art can be. It leaves so much room for interpretation, and isn't that the beauty of it all?