Retour du Travail (Return to Work) 1956

Editor: Here we have Frans Masereel’s “Retour du Travail”, or “Return to Work”, a woodcut print from 1956. The high contrast and stark lines give it such a dramatic feel. What do you see in this piece, looking at it from your perspective? Curator: Focusing on its formal qualities, observe how Masereel employs the stark contrast of black and white to delineate form. The figures emerge not from tonal gradations, but from the interaction of positive and negative space. Consider, too, the repetitive use of the vertical line—evident in the rigging, the figures' postures, and even the cobblestones—creating a sense of rhythm, almost relentless forward motion. Editor: It's interesting that you point that out! I hadn't really considered how the lines themselves contribute to that feeling of forward movement. How would you say that formal approach impacts its meaning? Curator: The reduction to essential forms, the bold contrast, directs our attention to the fundamental structure. Masereel isn't just depicting laborers, but encoding labor, its rhythm and force, into the very syntax of the image. Does that resonance between subject and structure seem pertinent? Editor: Yes, definitely! The limited palette forces you to focus on form. Thank you for highlighting the construction techniques; I would've completely missed it otherwise. Curator: The structure dictates the reading, it guides us through Masereel’s visual construction. Hopefully it brings to the fore, the symbiotic relationship between art and the critical eye.