Portfolio cover from the portfolio "The Transformations of God" 1922

Curator: This is the portfolio cover from "The Transformations of God" by Ernst Barlach. Editor: It feels like a blank slate, almost deceptively simple for such a weighty title. Curator: Barlach, who lived from 1870 to 1938, created works heavily informed by expressionism, frequently engaging with religious and philosophical themes. Editor: The austerity here hints at a modern crisis of faith, a stripping away perhaps? The stark presentation itself becomes a statement about belief in a tumultuous period. Curator: The lack of adornment could symbolize the ineffable nature of God, or perhaps an interrogation of traditional religious iconography. It's a powerful emptiness. Editor: Right. It leaves one to wonder what potent imagery the portfolio holds. This cover suggests a need for reinvention, a re-evaluation of the divine in a changing world. Curator: Indeed, and by presenting this cover, we also see how the artist used materials and composition to engage in a philosophical discourse. Editor: It certainly challenges conventional notions of religious art. It's a brilliant paradox.