The Finding of Lizaveta (Book III: The Sensualists, facing p.78) 1949

Fritz Eichenberg made this stark, small print, The Finding of Lizaveta, with wood engraving. The process of carving away at the wood to create the image seems so painstaking and appropriate to the grim scene portrayed. Look at how the figures are tightly packed together, each rendered with intense detail. The lines are fine, almost delicate, yet they build up to create a sense of weight and volume. The dark, scratchy textures give the scene an ominous feel, like a nightmare unfolding right before our eyes. The faces of the men are particularly striking, each one grotesque and distorted in its own way. It’s the stuff of Goya, no? It reminds me of other artists who used printmaking to explore the darker aspects of human nature, like Käthe Kollwitz or even some of the weirder stuff by Max Beckmann. It's like they're all part of this ongoing conversation about the human condition, each adding their own unique perspective to the mix.