The Dog and the Crocodile 1950

Antonio Frasconi made this woodcut called "The Dog and the Crocodile" with what looks like a whole lotta care and attention to the mark-making. It’s all about the black and white, simple but direct, like a graphic novel in one image. Look at the crocodile, all those tiny marks making up its skin! You can almost feel the texture, rough and bumpy. And that dog, so sleek and smooth in contrast. The way Frasconi uses the woodcut technique here is just fascinating. Each line, each dot, tells a story, not just of the animals, but of the artist's hand at work. See how the lines give a sense of depth, like the crocodile's looming over the dog. It’s not just about what's depicted, but how it's depicted, all that physicality of the medium, like the wood itself is part of the story. Frasconi reminds me of someone like Elizabeth Catlett, who also knew how to make strong statements with simple means, it’s the power of the line, you know? Art is all about conversations across time, and this woodcut is no exception. It invites us to interpret, to feel, to question, and isn't that what art's all about?