Untitled (Burning Figures) c. 1938

Todros Geller created this woodcut print with ink on paper, and I'm struck by its immediacy. It looks like it emerged rapidly, a reaction to something the artist was seeing or imagining. The figures are surrounded by flames, so I imagine Geller must have been thinking about human suffering, and our capacity for inflicting cruelty on others. The faces are etched with anguish, their mouths open in silent screams. Look at how the black ink is carved away to create stark contrasts, heightening the drama. I can imagine him wrestling with the woodblock, carving out each line with determination, feeling the weight of his subject matter. I wonder if he was thinking about artists like Kathe Kollwitz, who also used printmaking to address themes of war, poverty and injustice. Artists are in a constant dialogue with each other, responding to the world and each other’s work, challenging us to confront difficult truths.