Let All Old Scores be Forgotten, from the portfolio "Ode to Joy" 1924

Editor: Here we have Ernst Barlach's woodcut, "Let All Old Scores Be Forgotten," part of his "Ode to Joy" portfolio. The high contrast creates a somber mood. What's your take on this piece? Curator: The starkness, born from bold cuts into the wood, feels like a purging. Barlach is wrestling with forgiveness, but not in a gentle way. Notice how the angel looms, almost accusatory, while others above seem to torment someone below who's hunched over a book. Is it a ledger of grievances, do you think? Editor: It could be a ledger. It makes me think about the weight of holding onto grudges. Curator: Exactly. Barlach lived through immense turmoil; perhaps he’s suggesting that true joy demands a reckoning, a brutal honesty, before old scores can truly be forgotten. Editor: It's a powerful message, even if a bit unsettling. Curator: Indeed. It reminds me that forgiveness isn't always a soft, gentle release; sometimes, it's a fierce battle with oneself.