Die Dome 1920

Curator: Ernst Barlach's "Die Dome," held here at the Harvard Art Museums, presents a compelling visual. Editor: The stark contrast immediately grabs you, doesn't it? Such dramatic use of black and white; very striking. Curator: Indeed. Barlach, who lived from 1870 to 1938, often used woodcut to explore themes of human suffering and spiritual searching. The means of production here—the carving, the inking, the printing—speak volumes about the artist's labor. Editor: The figure looming over the cathedrals—such a powerful form. The composition leads the eye upwards, following his gaze. I see a profound sense of contemplation. Curator: Perhaps that contemplation speaks to the societal anxieties of his time? Barlach witnessed immense social upheaval, and the rise of industrialization challenged traditional craft and labor. Editor: It's a fascinating tension, isn't it? This interplay of form and content, a visual puzzle that pulls us in. Curator: Precisely. It allows us to see the power of the artwork and also to understand the social context in which it was made. Editor: So, it is a moving work that combines many concepts.