Two Figures 1919 - 1920

Max Weber made this woodcut, "Two Figures", and it's all about the stark contrast of black ink on paper. The whole image emerges from the push and pull of these graphic marks, like a conversation happening right on the surface. I’m drawn to the way Weber simplifies the human form into geometric shapes. Look at the faces, how they’re reduced to these sharp angles and planes, yet still manage to convey a sense of emotion. The texture is rugged, almost raw. You can see the marks left by the cutting tool, the grain of the wood asserting itself. It's not about hiding the process but embracing it. That jagged edge running down the figure on the right, it reminds me of a crack or a fault line, hinting at the fragility beneath the surface. Weber really understood how to distill a complex idea into something so direct and powerful. It reminds me a little of the German Expressionist woodcuts of Kirchner and Heckel, where the rough-hewn quality of the printmaking mirrors the anxieties of modern life. It shows how artists share ideas and techniques, building on each other across time.