Kasperltheater 1907

Hans Kalmsteiner made this small linocut called "Kasperltheater", it's at the Met. The thing I love about linocut prints is their graphic boldness, that high contrast between light and dark and how the artist coaxes depth from simple shapes. Here, Kalmsteiner sets up a tiny stage, a world of color and gesture, to give us a glimpse into some kind of ambiguous scene. The man, maybe a puppet master, stands with batons, while a rabbit sits idly by. I’m drawn to how the red of the man’s outfit really pops against the flat black background. Look at the way the artist makes the red of the rabbits eye so sharp. This reminds me a little of Kirchner’s woodcuts, with their rough, angular shapes and intense emotional expression. But there's a playfulness here, an openness that resists any single interpretation. Art doesn't need to give you all the answers; sometimes, it’s more fun to just ask questions.