Reverse Headlock c. 1931

Joseph Webster Golinkin made this lithograph, Reverse Headlock, sometime in the twentieth century. The stark blacks and whites create an incredible sense of drama and movement, don’t they? I can imagine Golinkin in the stands, his gaze fixed on the wrestlers locked in a grapple of intense physical struggle. His hand moves quickly, trying to capture their energy. You can almost hear the grunts and see the sweat! The viewer is thrown into the scene, caught between a love of the sport, and maybe its inherent brutality. But what really strikes me is how the artist uses light and shadow to create such a powerful sense of depth and volume. It's like you could reach out and touch those bodies. And the way he captures the tension in their muscles… it’s masterful. Artists like Golinkin aren't just showing us a picture; they're inviting us to feel something, to think about something, and to connect with each other in a way that transcends words.