Standing male figure c. early 20th century

This Standing Male Figure, by Beembe, has such presence despite its size. Carved from wood, it’s like a three-dimensional drawing, isn’t it? I can imagine the artist working with a chisel, maybe a knife, carefully chipping away, revealing the form bit by bit. I wonder what it was like for Beembe to hold this wood, feel its grain, and decide where to make the first cut. The figure's hands are clasped to his chest, holding some sort of emblem that looks like a flower. I’m drawn to the texture. You can almost feel the give and take between the artist and the material. There is so much expression in this small wooden sculpture, and I think that’s the magic of art – it speaks across time, inviting us into a conversation that never really ends. I always think about painting as a kind of embodied expression, and the same is true of wood carving.