The Flight c. 1912

Moriz Melzer made "The Flight" sometime in the 20th century, using what looks like woodcut or linocut on paper. It’s a scene of people and horses, rendered in earthy browns and yellows against a dreamy blue sky. I wonder what it was like for Melzer to carve those shapes, committing to each line, each form with a decisive mark. The figures emerge from blocks of color, simplified yet full of feeling. I can almost feel the pressure of his hand as he pressed the paper onto the block, transferring the image. The green figure walking upright - it’s odd, in a way, yet has an intentional feel - like Philip Guston deciding to make a clumsy, yet somehow perfect mark. There’s something about the directness of the medium, the way it reduces everything to essential forms, that feels deeply honest. The way the horses hang their heads feels very modern to me. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they? We learn from each other, riff off each other’s ideas, and keep the dialogue going across time. Painting is a conversation, not a lecture!