Seated Female Nude I 1920

M.C. Escher made this black ink woodcut, "Seated Female Nude I," at an unknown date. Can you imagine him working on this? Look how Escher contrasts the figure with those graphic lines—each cut seems so deliberate, so sure. I can almost feel the pressure of his hand on the tool, guiding it through the wood, each mark precise and unwavering. The whiteness of the figures is so stark—did he start with an image or did the figures emerge through his process of cutting away at the wood? This piece reminds me of the work of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who worked with woodcuts to create powerful images of the human form. It’s like Escher is in conversation with her, exploring the possibilities of the medium and pushing its boundaries. Artists are always influencing and challenging each other, building on the ideas of those who came before them.