Fontamara III 1947

Fayga Ostrower made this work, Fontamara III, as a print – maybe a woodcut, something like that. The marks feel really immediate and raw, like she's digging right into the material. It's all black and white, so the contrast is super strong. Check out how she uses the white space. It’s not just empty; it's like another presence, pushing against the black. The texture is really cool too, kinda rough and uneven, which makes it feel almost tactile. There’s a figure at the bottom of the composition and I can see them holding a letter or a drawing, like they’re sharing something precious. The way Ostrower layers the figures creates a sense of intimacy, as if we're intruding on a private moment. This kind of work reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, that same commitment to portraying human experiences in a really direct, no-frills way. It’s a conversation across time and geography, artists responding to each other, grappling with similar ideas.