Harlem Beauty 1930

Werner Drewes made this woodcut, Harlem Beauty, in 1930. It’s got this bold, graphic punch from the start. Black and white, stark contrast, you know? What I love is the way he’s not trying to hide the process. You can see the gouges, the cuts into the wood, each mark telling a story of how it was made. Look at the face. It’s not smooth or soft; it's built up of these angular planes, almost cubist. The way the light hits those planes, it’s so deliberate. The physical act of carving becomes part of the image itself, right? It reminds me a little of some of the German Expressionist woodcuts, like Kirchner or Heckel, where the roughness of the medium adds to the emotional intensity. It’s like Drewes is saying, "Here’s the beauty, but here’s also the work, the struggle, the carving away to find it.” That’s real. Art isn't about perfection; it’s about process and feeling.