Nieuwjaarswens van Imre Bauer 1933

This small card titled, "Nieuwjaarswens van Imre Bauer", or "New Year's Wish from Imre Bauer", was made as a linocut print by Kornél Révész, sometime around 1934. The artist uses the graphic, almost stencil-like quality, that’s characteristic of linocut to full effect. The colour palette is simple: black, a muted green, and the white of the paper. The green is a curious choice, though; it brings an unnatural, almost sickly cast to the piece. The blocky, angular forms seem to press against each other, creating a sense of tension and unease. Look at the figure, hunched over, seemingly lost in thought or despair, overshadowed by looming numerals and a strange sort of vegetation. There's a rawness to the carving, a directness that speaks to the immediacy of the printmaking process. You could say the German Expressionists, like Kirchner or Heckel, may have been an influence. But unlike their woodcuts, this has a more homemade, intimate feel. It's this tension between public declaration and private emotion that makes the print so compelling. It reminds us that art is a language of feeling as much as it is one of form.