Sanctuary 1939

Lynd Kendall Ward made this monochromatic print, Sanctuary, using wood engraving. Imagine the artist, bent over a block of wood, carving away with tiny tools, following the image in their mind. The act of carving, a slow, methodical removal of material. I can sympathize with Lynd, and it's funny because the term 'wood engraving' doesn't conjure the emotional and intellectual resonances that are achieved here. I see people, a sanctuary, ruins, and also rays of sun beaming out of a dark sky. What kind of feeling did Ward want to communicate by using this medium? The dramatic chiaroscuro of the black ink against the white paper really intensifies the emotional resonance of the figures, who are either fleeing or standing stoically, maybe both.