Dmitri on the Road (Book VIII: Mitya, facing p.316) 1949

Fritz Eichenberg made this print, Dmitri on the Road, with wood engraving; I imagine him carving away at the block, figuring out the light and dark, to create a sense of depth. There's something about the contrast between the figures and the night sky that sets a dramatic tone, like a scene from a movie. I wonder what Dostoevsky would have thought? This is an illustration for his novel, after all. The guy holding the reins looks intense, and his companion looks slightly worried. What are they thinking, feeling? It reminds me a bit of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who knew how to work with black and white to create incredibly powerful images. I see the kind of energy and emotion Eichenberg evokes through line and shadow. It shows how artists are always in conversation with one another across time.