Xmas New Year 1926 - 1927

This linocut print, Xmas New Year by C. Bertram Hartman, was made around 1926-27, most likely as a holiday greeting card. Imagine Hartman carefully carving away at the linoleum block, each incision defining the figures and urban backdrop. It's a striking composition! There's a stylized woman in the foreground and a male figure standing behind her. What were they thinking, standing there together, in that moment of transition? It's all about the push and pull of black and white, light and shadow, isn’t it? And it reminds me of how much our work builds on what others have done – a visual conversation across time, informing and inspiring each other. It is a reminder that art is an ongoing, ever-evolving experiment.