Mother and Child, Seated 1952

Vera Myhre’s ‘Mother and Child, Seated’ is a woodcut, made without any colour to speak of; just strong blacks and whites doing all the work. It’s a reminder that artmaking is a process of decisions and, sometimes, limitations. The thing that grabs me is the way Myhre uses these stark contrasts to convey both tenderness and a certain starkness. Look at the way the white lines carve out the figures, creating a texture that's almost palpable. You can almost feel the rough grain of the wood, the way the knife bit into the surface. There’s a real physicality to this print, the blockiness of the mother’s form feels so solid and comforting. I'm reminded of Kathe Kollwitz's prints, not just in the subject matter but in the emotional intensity. Ultimately, this piece is a conversation, a back-and-forth between the artist, the material, and us, the viewers. It’s not about fixed meanings but about the ongoing exchange of ideas, the ambiguity that makes art so endlessly fascinating.