Evening 1921

0:00

print, woodblock-print, woodcut

print

landscape

figuration

woodblock-print

woodcut

orientalism

cityscape

Dimensions: 14 15/16 x 8 3/16 in. (37.94 x 20.8 cm) (image)15 9/16 x 8 11/16 in. (39.53 x 22.07 cm) (sheet)

Carl Thiemann made this evocative woodcut, Evening, and I can feel the process in every bit of it. The color palette, dominated by muted greens, grays, and that striking red sail, suggests a mood of quiet reflection. I’m drawn to the texture, the way the wood grain subtly peeks through the colors, reminding us of the material's inherent qualities. Look at the reflection of the sail in the water. It’s not a mirror image but a series of vertical strokes, each one distinct, yet together forming a whole. It’s like a metaphor for how we see, a collection of fragmented moments pieced together. Thiemann reminds me a little of Emil Nolde, in that the colour and texture evoke a certain mood and an embrace of ambiguity over clarity. It leaves room for interpretation, and acknowledges that seeing is not just about looking but about feeling too.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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If this boat and its reflection were smooth and refined, this image would have a very different feel. Much of its impact seems to come from the feeling expressed in the ragged, imperfectly cut lines. For Arts and Crafts proponents, such lines implied authenticity. The influence of Japanese woodblock prints is apparent in the soft, gradated background, the isolated subject, and the narrow, vertical format.