Revolution 1919 - 1920

Franz Wilhelm Seiwert made this print, Revolution, using woodcut on paper. The thick black lines and the raw, unpolished texture of the woodcut give it a real sense of urgency. I can almost imagine Seiwert wrestling with the woodblock, carving out these bold, graphic shapes. What was he thinking as he gouged out these forms, leaving behind the stark contrast of black and white? The figure seems caught in a moment of intense action or struggle. Are they pushing forward, or are they weighed down, exhausted by the fight? Seiwert was part of the Cologne Progressive artists, who were interested in social change and new ways of representing the world, but he was also in dialogue with the German Expressionists, who used abstraction to depict inner emotional states. Looking at this artwork, it feels like both of those things are true. This print isn’t just about a specific political event; it’s about the universal human experience of fighting for change.