Silhouet (Vrouw in schommelstoel) 1913

Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita made this black ink woodcut of a silhouetted woman in a rocking chair. Look at the way the artist carved away at the wood block to create these crisp lines, it's like the image was coaxed into existence through careful removal. I wonder what Mesquita was thinking as he worked on this print? Was he thinking about someone he knew or loved? The figure is cast in shadow, caught in a private moment, gently rocking. I'm captivated by the contrast between the solid black silhouette and the textured linework. The lines create a space but also suggest a sense of enclosure. There's a rhythm to the composition that's both calming and kind of unsettling. Thinking about other printmakers like Félix Vallotton and Edvard Munch, I see echoes of their bold use of graphic, simplified forms, the stark contrasts. Ultimately, all art is a conversation between artists across time, each one building on the ideas of those who came before, and I appreciate the openness with which an artist like Mesquita explores the ambiguities of being.