Nude with Upraised Arm 1919 - 1920

Editor: So, this is Max Weber’s "Nude with Upraised Arm," a woodcut print from around 1919-1920. It’s...striking. The figure is so stylized, almost angular. What do you see in this piece, beyond the obvious? Curator: Beyond the beautiful obvious? I see Weber wrestling with the echoes of Cubism, but bending it to express something deeply personal, almost primal. Look at how the lines carve out the form, how they push and pull against each other. There's a tension there, wouldn’t you agree? It’s not just a nude; it’s a study of energy, of feeling forced through a fractured lens. The Expressionist impulse straining against the Cubist structure – it's like a storm brewing. What do you make of the rough texture the woodcut lends? Editor: It feels very raw, unfinished almost. Not classically beautiful in the traditional sense. I feel like I’m looking at a figure struggling to emerge. Curator: Exactly! Think of it as less a portrait and more of a psychic excavation. Weber’s less concerned with anatomical accuracy and more invested in digging into the emotional landscape. The upraised arm – is it a gesture of defiance? Of surrender? Maybe both. Artists used to strive for a window into the world, no? Weber shows us a window into *himself.* Does it make you think of anything? Editor: Now that you mention it, that pose reminds me of Rodin’s sculptures... I suppose it is that expression of intense emotion you pointed out. I see the storm brewing in Weber now. Curator: It's incredible what a fresh pair of eyes can notice. Editor: Thank you for this, it will give me a lot to think about when viewing Weber's artworks! Curator: The pleasure was all mine! It is a truly unique artwork.