Leda and the Swan 1917

Heinrich Campendonk made this woodcut, Leda and the Swan, using stark black and white to carve out a space of both violence and tenderness. The process feels immediate, like a snapshot. There’s no room for error in this method: each cut is a commitment. The texture here is all about the contrast between the smooth, untouched paper and the rough, gouged-out areas of black ink. The dark parts aren't just flat; they have a physical presence, a kind of stubbornness. Look at the lower left of the image. Notice the way the A shape is formed by thick lines, and the strange, almost cartoonish, shapes and foliage that surround it. It reminds me of the work of Max Beckmann, who also used woodcuts to express complex ideas with striking simplicity. Ultimately, this piece is a reminder that art doesn't need to be slick or polished to be powerful. It’s a record of a physical act, a conversation between the artist and the material, full of happy accidents and unexpected revelations.