Portret van een onbekende man 1888 - 1934

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this striking portrait of an unknown man with woodcut. The thing about a woodcut is, you’re always thinking about what to take away. It's a dance between positive and negative space, like a conversation where silence speaks volumes. Look at the way Grondhout carves out the face, the stark contrast giving so much weight to every line, wrinkle, and shadow. It’s bold and unforgiving. I keep coming back to the man’s cap, those parallel lines sitting snug on his head. It’s a simple detail, but it traps the light, doesn't it? The hat feels kind of slapdash, but then everything is. I think of Kollwitz and her expressionistic prints, her raw, emotional style, and the social concerns that she captured so unflinchingly. Art is an ongoing conversation, a back-and-forth across time.