Portrait of an Elderly Lady 1983

This is Edvard Munch's woodcut, "Portrait of an Elderly Lady," made with stark black lines carved into wood, a process that’s all about the push and pull between control and accident. The grain of the wood creates these really punchy, raw textures. Look at the background, how the vertical lines are right up against the curves of her face, a real contrast. It's like Munch is using the wood itself to give her presence. The way he carves tells us so much; the lines around her mouth, for instance, they aren’t just lines, they’re like little stories etched into her face. Each cut speaks to time and age. I'm reminded of Käthe Kollwitz, who also made prints with that expressive approach. Art isn't ever really finished; it just keeps talking to itself, across time. Like a good conversation, it leaves you with more questions than answers.