Horseman II 1956

Arthur Danto made this stark image of a horse and rider using the printmaking technique of woodcut. I imagine him wrestling with the block of wood, digging into it with his tools to reveal these rough, hewn shapes. The black ink sits heavily on the page, giving the image a sense of weight and solidity. The forms are simplified, almost abstracted, yet they still manage to convey the power and movement of the horse and its rider. Look at the way Danto uses the negative space, the white areas around the black, to define the shapes. See how the jagged lines create a sense of energy and dynamism, as if the horse is galloping across the page. It reminds me of Franz Kline's black and white abstractions, but with a figurative element. It’s like Danto is saying that even with minimal means, the essence of something can be captured.