Illustration to Goethe's "Novelle" Possibly 1943

Imre Reiner made this illustration to Goethe's "Novelle," using graphic marks like a visual echo. The print's monochrome palette focuses our attention on the density of the marks. I imagine Reiner working on the block, following the text while letting the images take on a life of their own. The figure on the left, composed of rapid linear marks, stands poised and alert. And then there is the animal, perhaps a lion, emerging out of the textured ground, its features etched with expressive strokes, almost like the wind or the waves, capturing its raw power. The texture feels both intentional and accidental, a testament to the artist's hand and the medium's inherent qualities. Reiner's work reminds me of other artists who embrace graphic marks, like Käthe Kollwitz. Artists are in constant dialogue, drawing on each other's innovations to create their own visual language. Each mark is an expression, and each artwork invites us to think, feel, and see the world anew.