Eavesdropping 1919 - 1920

Walter Gramatté made this stark image, Eavesdropping, without a date, using woodcut techniques. The figures emerge from the darkness in a way that feels both graphic and emotionally charged. It's all about the push and pull between the black ink and the bare paper, isn't it? The faces are these simplified, almost mask-like forms. The one in the lower center, especially – the way the nose and brow are just these sharp angles, and the mouth a mere suggestion. And the inky blacks have such depth, while the white spaces are flat and stark. It reminds me of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, they both had this knack for wringing emotion out of pure, unadulterated contrast. The title invites us to think about what these figures might be hearing, or what they might be trying to hide. Ultimately, it’s a piece that embraces ambiguity.