Reclining Nude 1924 - 1930

This is Max Weber's Reclining Nude, made with a monochromatic palette using block printing, and you can see the black ink pressed onto the paper. I imagine Weber, with his block, carefully carving out the lines that define the reclining nude, and then applying just enough ink to catch the textures. It is a very physical process. And the final print is small. There is an intimacy in the image, how Weber has chosen to depict the female form – not idealized, but real, folded, and resting. It’s as if he's saying: here is the body, in all its glorious complexity. Thinking about the long history of representing the nude in art, Weber’s take feels fresh, honest, and deeply personal. There is a connection through form; it's like Weber is conversing with other artists. This block print is a piece of a larger exchange across time, a kind of visual call and response.