Stier before 1940

This woodcut, titled Stier, was made by Tinus van Doorn. It's a simple image, really, black ink on paper; but within that he explores an incredible sense of space. There's a real economy of line here, with the bare minimum used to evoke the bull, the tree, even the bird. You can almost feel the pressure of the blade as it cuts into the wood, defining the negative space and leaving these striking lines behind. Notice how the texture varies – the solid black area versus the hatched lines of the bull’s body, suggesting form and movement with such a light touch. The bull seems to be running, or maybe dancing. It reminds me of other German Expressionists like Franz Marc, who was also interested in the animal form. But Van Doorn brings his own flavor, his own sense of play. Art, at its best, is about embracing these kinds of ambiguities. What do you think?