Untitled (Urban Scene with Subway Entrance) 1934

John Opper made this print, an untitled urban scene with a subway entrance, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It's a woodcut, so the image is made by cutting away at a block of wood and then printing what's left. The way Opper uses black and white is so dramatic. Look how he carves out these shapes with such decisive strokes, making the scene pop with a real sense of depth. It's like he's capturing the energy of the city in these stark contrasts. See the group of people waiting at the entrance, all these tiny lines forming their shapes and shadows. It gives you a sense of movement, like they're all about to rush into the subway. The textures and patterns, like the lines of the architecture or the shadows cast by the figures, add layers of complexity. It reminds me of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, who were also capturing the feeling of the city. What I love about this piece is how Opper embraces the process, letting the marks speak for themselves and inviting us to see the city in a whole new light.