Seated Woman 1919 - 1920

Max Weber's woodcut, "Seated Woman" is a small but mighty image. I love the bold choices here, the solid forms, and how the figure emerges through the careful, deliberate carving of the wood. The way Weber plays with positive and negative space is striking. I can imagine him, tool in hand, carefully considering each cut, each line, feeling the resistance of the wood, and envisioning the final image gradually appearing. There's a rawness to the process that gives the print a unique energy. You can see how the artist is thinking about Picasso and maybe Matisse, chewing on those ideas about how to represent the figure. He's simplified it down to the most essential forms, letting the wood do the talking. It's like he's saying, "Here's what I see, take it or leave it," and that's what makes it so engaging. Artists look at each other; this piece feels like a conversation.