Mother and Child, Seated 1952

This is Vera Myhre's ‘Mother and Child, Seated,’ carved most likely with a knife or chisel into a block of wood. It’s all about the stark contrast of black ink on paper, and the striking, bold cuts that bring the figures to life. I imagine Vera, in her studio, pressing the blade into the wood, feeling the give and resistance as she carefully removed slivers to create this image. Maybe she paused, considering how to capture the intimacy and weight of motherhood with such a limited palette. I wonder what she was thinking? Look at the way the white lines define the mother’s form, and the child’s gesture of a raised fist, so full of energy. There’s a rawness to it, a kind of unflinching honesty. It reminds me of other printmakers like Käthe Kollwitz, who also used the medium to explore themes of motherhood, loss, and the human condition. It’s like they're all having this conversation across time, using their tools to dig into the depths of experience.