Two Wounded Men 1915

Erich Heckel made this print, *Two Wounded Men*, using woodcut techniques, resulting in a stark and graphic image. The process itself – carving away at the woodblock – mirrors the destructive forces of war, leaving behind sharp, angular marks. The heavy contrast between black and white creates an immediate sense of unease. Looking at the wounded man in the foreground, the bandages around his head are rendered with thick, assertive lines, almost like armor. The way Heckel carves the face, with its deep, shadowed planes, speaks to the emotional toll of war. Each line seems to carve out not just form, but also pain and resilience. Heckel’s Expressionist contemporaries like Kirchner come to mind, but there’s also something raw and deeply personal in Heckel’s work. It's a reminder that art can hold multiple truths, and that the process of making can be as meaningful as the final image.