Linde in Lage Vuursche 1908 - 1920

Gretha Pieck made this black ink woodcut called 'Linde in Lage Vuursche'. The bold lines, they remind me of Paula Modersohn-Becker! I love the way she coaxes so much life and movement out of these lines. There's a real drama to it, don't you think? It's a dance between the black ink and the bare paper. The artist isn't afraid to let some areas just be empty, and that makes the tree stand out even more. Look at the upper part of the tree - it's like an explosion of tiny lines, a real contrast to the blank sky. And down at the bottom, the roots are like grasping claws! I wonder, what was Pieck feeling when she made this? Was she thinking about the tree’s age, its strength, or maybe something else entirely? It feels like a conversation, and the more I look, the more I hear it.