Poverty assailed by dogs 1924

Tadeusz Makowski made this woodcut called 'Poverty assailed by dogs' and it's a strong piece, all done with stark blacks and whites. You can really see the process in each line and shape. The image feels really immediate, almost raw. The texture is so physical; you can imagine the artist carving away at the wood, how it must have felt to use that tool. Look at the contrast between the smooth, flat areas and the jagged, rough lines, like those scratching dogs. It creates this sense of struggle, like poverty itself is a rough beast, breathing down your neck. Notice how some of the lines that make up the dogs are thin and scratchy, whereas those creating the figures in the centre are thick and bold. It reminds me of some German Expressionist prints, like Käthe Kollwitz, where the harshness of the medium amplifies the emotional impact. Makowski's print isn't just about depicting poverty; it's about making you feel it in your bones, through the very act of looking.