September 1917

This is ‘September,’ a woodcut made by Julie de Graag in 1917. It's such a simple palette, just brown and black against the pale paper, but it really works. I mean, you get these toadstools right away. The textures in this piece are great - there’s a roughness to the brown lines that make up the caps of the mushrooms, and it contrasts so well with the smooth, dark background. Look at how the lines curve and swell, giving weight and volume to something that’s essentially a flat image. The ground is also really interesting, it's like little dots. The way she’s used the woodcut technique, with these bold graphic elements, reminds me a bit of some of the German Expressionists. But there’s also a delicacy here, a quietness, that’s all De Graag. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art doesn't always need to shout to be heard. Sometimes, the most powerful statements are whispered.