Wijnpers 1894 - 1935

Mathieu Lauweriks made this woodcut, 'Wijnpers,' with a clear love for the graphic quality inherent in the medium. The whole thing is about dark and light and the interplay between them. Look at the way the figures emerge from the solid black background through stark, white lines. It's as if the artist carved away at the darkness to reveal these characters, each with an emotion that is bold. Take the figure on the left. Do you see how their hands gesture to some kind of suffering? This is a process that lays bare the essence of form and expression. This emphasis on the process reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, especially in the shared commitment to making art that grapples with social themes. Like Kollwitz, Lauweriks embraces the power of ambiguity, inviting us to ponder the multiple layers of meaning embedded in the print. The end result is an invitation for contemplation, a testament to the power of art as a conversation that transcends time.