Log Cabin 1937

J. J. Lankes made this image, "Log Cabin," using wood engraving, and I immediately notice the careful, deliberate marks. It’s not just about depicting a scene; it’s about the process of carving, the way the tool meets the wood, right? Look at the sky, how the clouds are shaped with these delicate lines, almost like he's stroking the wood. And then, notice the tree! Each leaf, each branch, it's all about texture. This image isn’t just a picture of a log cabin; it's about the physicality of the medium, the way the artist uses the material to create a world. It reminds me a little of Rockwell Kent, but more grounded, less heroic. It's about the beauty in the everyday, the poetry in a simple cabin. And that, to me, is what art is all about: finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.