Dimensions: height 214 mm, width 298 mm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
Salomon Garf made this print called ‘Breistertje’ – or knitting girl – sometime before 1943 using a woodblock. The whole image is built from strong contrasts. It’s either black or white, there’s no half-tone here. The artist shows us what is there by what he takes away, carving out the image from the block. I love how Garf uses the marks to describe texture and light. Look at the woman’s dress. Notice the strokes suggest the folds of the fabric. The image is all about labour, but there’s a real tenderness in the way the artist renders the scene. The sunflowers are a nod to Van Gogh. The flat picture plane and the strong black lines remind me of German Expressionist woodcuts. Like them, Garf sees the beauty and dignity in everyday life. In his work, art becomes a celebration of the ordinary.
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