Birches c. 1920

Lesser Ury made this print called 'Birches' and you can almost feel the earthiness coming off of it. I can imagine him, pulling a proof, and not quite getting the balance right. Then, with a few deft flicks of his wrist, the image starts to shimmer and take form. He was a German Impressionist, and you can see him playing with light here. I bet he knew he was contributing to something bigger than himself, that he was part of a chain that stretched back to the cave painters. There's a certain vulnerability in his marks that speaks to a shared humanity. It makes me think of other artists obsessed with trees, like Mondrian, each finding their own way to express the life force of nature. When I look at this print, I see not just trees, but a reflection of Ury himself.