St. George and the Dragon 1941

Louis Schanker's "St. George and the Dragon" is a symphony in blue, where cool hues wash over simplified forms, rendered through the graphic language of printmaking. I imagine Schanker wrestling with the block, each line a decisive act, carving away at the surface to reveal a scene of mythic proportions. The dragon, more bird-like than monstrous, dives with an angular grace, mirrored by the determined figure of St. George on his steed. It's like a dance, this battle, a play of positive and negative space where the wood grain peeks through like whispers of texture. The paint is applied thinly and evenly, allowing the texture of the paper to show through, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. I can see how Schanker, hanging out with the Abstract Expressionists, distilled the energy of action painting into this small but mighty print. There's a kinship here with other artists exploring abstraction, a conversation across studios and generations, each pushing the boundaries of what art can be. It's not just a story; it's a feeling, an experience, open to endless interpretations.