Moeder en kind c. 1918 - 1919

Editor: This woodcut, titled "Moeder en kind" by Else Berg, probably made around 1918 or 1919, strikes me as both tender and stark. The figures are so simplified, almost geometric, but still convey a deep sense of intimacy. What do you see in this piece? Curator: You know, it whispers stories to me. Look at the way Berg uses these sharp, almost violent lines to create such a soft embrace. It’s like she's battling with the medium itself to express something incredibly gentle. Have you ever felt that push and pull, that struggle to articulate something deeply felt? Editor: I think so, yes, especially when the emotion is overwhelming, and hard to express. Curator: Exactly! And consider the period. Just after World War I, amidst all that trauma, an artist chooses to depict this… fragile connection. It suggests a desperate yearning for comfort, for something pure and unbroken. See how the negative space almost cradles the figures, emphasizing their isolation, yet simultaneously unifying them? It’s quite powerful, isn't it? Editor: Yes, it really brings out the figures, despite how simple it is! Thank you. It's helped me consider art through a new lens! Curator: My pleasure! And always remember art, like life, reveals more the longer you look and the deeper you feel.