Untitled (Men, Rifles, Fire) c. 1938

This compelling black ink print, by William Jacobs, presents a scene of striking contrast between figures armed with rifles and civilians. The way it's printed almost looks as if the artist was fighting with the medium! I'm wondering, what was Jacobs thinking when he made it? Was he feeling bold? He definitely knew what he was doing, manipulating the print to express something urgent. The figures with rifles are rendered with sharp, angular lines, but the civilians are much looser, more expressive. Look at the figure with raised hands, or the figures fleeing. That contrast – the artist's decision to render such different energies in the same space – lends the image its force. It reminds me a little of Kathe Kollwitz's work, but with its own twist. The artwork remains open ended, letting us bring our own understandings and feelings to it.