Untitled (Fiesta) 1937

Helen Louise Beccard made this unnamed block print of a fiesta, we think, sometime in the 20th century. I really dig the way she's approached the whole scene. There’s this back-and-forth between what’s carved away and what’s left. It makes the whole composition vibrate with a sense of activity and life. Look at how she’s used these tight, almost frantic lines in the tents and in the shaded areas. It’s like the whole scene is buzzing, full of voices and movement. Then you have these figures in the foreground, rendered with such simplicity, but their faces are so expressive, so present. For me, it is all about the contrasts: the textures, the light and shadow, and the way Beccard balances detail with abstraction. It’s like a puzzle, inviting you to piece together your own understanding of what’s happening in this lively fiesta. I'm reminded a little of Kollwitz, although with an altogether different inflection. It feels as though Beccard is looking at the world and finding her own vocabulary to describe it.