The Peoples Revenge 1943

Leopoldo Méndez made this wood engraving, The Peoples Revenge, sometime in the mid-20th century. The image is all about mark making, just dark and light. It has a real graphic charge. I imagine Méndez working at a table, intensely focused as he gouges away the wood, cutting around his figures, clearing out space for the light to come through. The process of carving is so physical—there’s a real push and pull as his vision takes shape. It is not just an illustration, though. Look at how he makes the lines vibrate in the flames and the urgency in the man’s face as he wields an axe. Méndez has used the limitations of the medium to convey complex emotions. You can see the influence of other printmakers, like Käthe Kollwitz. They are all speaking to each other across time. It's amazing.