Waterlilies 1930

Editor: This is "Waterlilies," a 1930 wood engraving by Gertrude Hermes. The textures are incredible! What can you tell me about it? Curator: Look closely at the intense labor demanded by wood engraving and its historical association with reproduction. Hermes elevates it here beyond mere duplication. She’s exploring the materiality of the wood itself, the way the tool shapes the surface, and how that process impacts the image's reception. What do you make of her choice of subject in relation to that process? Editor: It’s like she’s celebrating both nature and the act of creation. I hadn't thought about it that way before! Curator: Exactly! Considering the means of production alters our perception of the "natural" world depicted, doesn't it?