Portret van David Wijnkoop 1929

Meijer Bleekrode made this woodcut, "Portret van David Wijnkoop," using paper and ink. It's a dance of black and white, where the cuts into the wood dictate the form. Look at the beard – it’s not just a beard, it’s an arrangement of angular lines that somehow become a beard. I love the confidence of the cuts, no soft blending here. It's so stylized, the whole thing becomes about shape and form. The texture of the paper peeks through, giving it a raw, almost rebellious feel. Bleekrode isn't trying to hide the process; instead, he's flaunting it. The deep blacks against the stark white aren't just contrast. It’s a statement, maybe about clarity, maybe about the stark choices we face. This reminds me a little of some of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, who were also playing with woodcuts and bold statements. But Bleekrode brings his own graphic punch to the conversation. It’s a reminder that art is always a dialogue.