Heer en knecht 1927

Erich Wichmann made this small woodcut print titled 'Heer en Knecht', or 'Lord and Servant', in 1927. What strikes me is the directness of the mark-making. It’s so clear that Wichmann is thinking through the process, feeling his way through the wood with each cut. The faces are rendered with such a raw, almost brutal simplicity, you can practically feel the resistance of the wood against the blade. Look at the way the eyes are formed – just a few quick gouges, but so expressive. And notice the texture of the background, that dense field of black. It’s almost as if the faces are emerging from some primordial darkness. The title suggests a hierarchy, but the faces are so similar, like two sides of the same coin. Thinking about other artists who worked in woodcut, I’m reminded of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner or Heckel. But there’s something even more stripped-down and elemental about Wichmann’s approach. Ultimately, art is about opening up questions, not closing them down. What do you think?