Harvesting is a severe blow at the enemy! 1941

Kukryniksy made this piece, "Harvesting is a severe blow at the enemy!", sometime in the mid-20th century. It's a black-and-white image, and there's something so striking about the starkness, the way they use line and shading to create this intense contrast. You can almost feel the weight and determination behind each stroke. There's a real physicality to the work. The texture feels rough, urgent. The lines feel quickly drawn and economical, lending the image a sense of raw energy. Look at how the hands are rendered – those aren't just hands; they're instruments of action, strong and capable. The contrast between the huge hand with the scythe and the diminutive foe is wonderfully farcical. This piece reminds me of Kathe Kollwitz, both artists are using the graphic medium to highlight political issues through bold emotive imagery. Both invite us to engage with art not just as a visual experience, but as a powerful tool for reflection and change. Art doesn’t always have to be pretty; sometimes, it needs to be a punch in the gut.