Biddende boer 1924

Jo Bezaan made this woodcut titled 'Biddende boer'– that's 'Praying Farmer' in English – sometime in the 1920s. What strikes me is the raw simplicity of the medium, where every mark counts, there’s no room for messing around, you have to commit. The stark contrast between black and white gives the piece an immediate, graphic punch. Notice how Bezaan uses the white of the paper to create a sense of light and form, carving away at the wood to reveal the image. The farmer’s face, lined and weathered, is especially powerful. His hands clasped around what could be a prayer bead or perhaps a humble offering. The background, a field of what I’d guess is wheat, is rendered with a similar directness. It makes me think of other artists working in the early 20th century, like Käthe Kollwitz, who used printmaking to convey powerful social messages. Bezaan’s piece, though smaller in scale, shares that same sense of empathy and humanism, capturing a moment of quiet contemplation amidst the toil of rural life. It's a reminder that art can be both simple and profound.