Salesgirl's Sunday c. 1936

Jessie Beard Rickly made 'Salesgirl's Sunday' with a woodblock, and right away, what grabs me is its bold, graphic quality. It’s all about contrasts, a real dance of light and shadow. You can almost feel the artist carving away at the wood, making these decisive marks. Look closely at the woman’s face; see how Rickly uses these sharp, dark lines to show exhaustion, or maybe just a quiet moment of reflection. The textures she creates feel so tactile. The eye is drawn to the still life on the table and the shoe discarded on the floor. This reminds me of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, who also used woodcuts to explore feelings. Rickly’s piece isn't just a picture; it's an invitation to feel something, a conversation about what it means to be tired, to be still, to find a moment in the middle of everything. And that's the beauty of art, isn't it? It keeps talking to us.