Christus aan het kruis 1935

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this woodcut, Christus aan het kruis, in 1930. The high contrast black and white, combined with bold hatching gives the print a kind of graphic punch. Looking closely, you can see the white lines of the figure are created by gouging away the wood, leaving a raised surface for the black ink. See the concentrated marks around the torso, they become a visual metaphor for pain. The process is front and center; this isn't trying to be a slick reproduction. The texture feels almost palpable, and I wonder about the kind of tools Schelfhout used, the resistance of the wood. You get the sense that he made very definite choices, embracing the starkness and simplicity inherent in the medium. It makes me think of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who found great expressive power in the woodcut. Ultimately, it's this combination of process and image that make it so compelling.