The Hare and the Tortoise 1950

Antonio Frasconi made this woodcut of "The Hare and the Tortoise" using a black ink, and it's all about the contrasts between the solid forms and the intricate textures he coaxes from the wood. I love that you can feel the mark of the tool, the gouge, the knife. It’s not trying to be slick. Look closely at the tortoise's shell, how Frasconi has carved these dense, overlapping lines to suggest its sturdy, grounded presence. And then compare that to the wispy, almost ethereal form of the hare floating above. The tortoise is solid black, while the hare is rendered through open marks, creating a sense of lightness and speed. It reminds me a little of those German Expressionist woodcuts, where the roughness of the medium is part of the message, you know? Like, art isn't about perfection, but about embracing the raw, imperfect stuff of life. It's like Frasconi is telling us that slow and steady, with all its imperfections, wins the race.