I picked strawberries 1927

Boris Kustodiev made this woodcut, "I picked strawberries", in 1927. It's amazing how much energy is in it, even though it’s just black ink on white paper. Look at the texture. It’s created by these sharp, deliberate gouges into the block. You can almost feel the artist’s hand, the pressure and the rhythm of carving. Notice how the berries are a field of white dots on a black circle, the figure is constructed from fields of black on white. It’s like the opposite of pointillism! I love how the blocky, stylized shapes give it a folk-art feel, and those spindly fir trees in the background are so charming. It reminds me a little of the German Expressionist woodcuts, but with a Russian fairytale twist. It feels immediate, almost naive, but also incredibly strong. Like a memory, or a dream. Art doesn't have to be complex to be deeply felt.