Emile Verhaeren 1921

This is Frans Masereel's woodcut portrait of Emile Verhaeren. I think this portrait is an interesting dance between the subject and the landscape they inhabit. Masereel carves the image out of the wood, using black and white as bold and contrasting tones. Look how the shapes create swirling patterns, especially in Verhaeren's hair and beard, which feel almost like abstracted waves. These lines evoke movement and energy, like water or maybe even the wind. The texture of the woodcut itself is part of the image. The way the tool bites into the wood becomes the surface of the artwork, adding a roughness. Look at the sharp, graphic quality of the buildings, or the radiating burst of sunlight, and how they contrast with the sensitive, watchful gaze of the poet. It feels like a portrait of both a person, and the world they look out on. It reminds me a little of the work of Kathe Kollwitz, in the way it shows an interest in both the individual and the politics of place. But mostly it reminds me of how art is all about looking, and how different artists help us to see the world in new and fascinating ways.