Readiness 1946

Hans Orlowski made this print titled 'Readiness' with ink on paper. It's all about the power of line, the way he builds up these little hatch marks to create light and shadow. You can almost feel the texture of the man's skin, the way the lines carve out every wrinkle and contour. Look at the man's hands. They're resting on this block with a swirling design, like he's a printmaker himself, ready to make his mark on the world. The bricks behind him are rough and uneven, adding to this sense of working class grit. The bricks are rendered with such economy. This print reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, another German artist who used printmaking to capture the lives of working people. Both artists embrace the raw, expressive power of black and white to convey a sense of humanity and resilience. Art isn't about perfection, it's about digging into the messiness of life and finding something real.