Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1913

Here's a small woodcut portrait of an unknown woman by Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita. The whole thing is pretty much just black and white, a really sharp contrast. I can imagine the artist carefully carving away at the wood, trying to capture the essence of this woman's character. The negative space becomes just as important as the lines, defining her face and silhouette, like a shadow puppet. What was he thinking as he was carving? Was he in love? Intrigued by her? I wonder if he knew her. The bold lines remind me of other printmakers, like Munch or some of the German Expressionists, but there’s also something really personal and intimate about it. It’s like he's whispering secrets about her with each cut. You can see how the black ink sits on the page, creating texture, depth, and a sense of presence. It's as though the artist is having a conversation with the woman, with the history of art, and with us. Each artwork is part of an ongoing creative exchange across time.