Shamash told us to fight against Chumbaba 1947

Willi Baumeister made this intriguing print, "Shamash told us to fight against Chumbaba," using a simple palette and direct mark-making. It feels immediate, like a sketch exploring a concept or idea. The textures are fascinating; see how the dark lines create depth and shadow around the lighter shapes? It reminds me of playing with stencils as a kid. I love the way Baumeister doesn't try to hide the process; it’s all right there on the surface. In the lower left, the cross-hatched shading adds an almost tangible weight to the forms, grounding them in the composition. Baumeister's work often explores abstract forms and their relationship to the human figure. Artists like Paul Klee come to mind, who similarly played with simplified shapes and symbolic imagery. It’s like they’re both having a conversation across time about how we see and interpret the world. Ultimately, this print invites us to engage with ambiguity and find our own meaning within its abstract language.