Staande naakte vrouw 1929

Simon Moulijn made this print, Staande naakte vrouw, and look at the way he has translated the image into black and white! It feels like he is making marks to feel the light and dark of the world. His marks are not necessarily descriptive, but they are expressive. The dark areas around the figure, almost like trees, become a powerful space of shadow, full of emotion. I find myself staring into the darkness and letting it express something about vulnerability. The figure is built up through careful gradations, almost like he’s caressing the surface, and in contrast, the landscape where she stands is rougher, less defined. Notice the woman’s hands, how they are clasped, almost hiding her, and how the strokes here are darker and more emphatic, creating a focal point. It reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker's prints of female figures, in the way it approaches the subject with a kind of quiet intensity. Art is so exciting because it leaves so much unsaid.