Kerst- en nieuwjaarswens voor 1948-1949 van Mansueto Fenini 1948

Pietro Francovich made this Christmas and New Year’s greeting card for Mansueto Fenini, around 1948 using a woodcut. The mark-making here is so incredibly detailed. The artist really took time to create an image that is rich in texture and full of character. This print is like a dense tapestry of figures and forms that blend into each other. Look closely, and you’ll see people on horseback, angels, and what seems to be the nativity scene right at the bottom. All rendered in such detail with just the stark contrast between black and white. The composition is very dynamic. I love the way the artist manages to convey so much with so little. This piece reminds me of some of the German Expressionist printmakers like Kirchner or Heckel, who were also working with the woodcut medium to produce very strong and emotionally charged images. Art is just one big conversation, right?