The Book of Job 1955

Fritz Eichenberg made this wood engraving, The Book of Job, using just a few tools to carve into the block. I imagine him thinking deeply about the biblical story as he worked. Look how Eichenberg uses the stark contrast of black and white to create drama and tension, a play of light and shadow that feels so psychologically charged. There's an eye in the sky, watching over the scene, and the figures are drawn with such expressive lines. The lines almost vibrate with emotion. I imagine the artist using the sharp tools and cutting away at the wood, each gouge a deliberate mark, a record of his engagement with the subject. I think that printmaking, like painting, demands a physical engagement, a kind of wrestling with the material to bring an image into being. Eichenberg is in conversation with artists such as Kathe Kollwitz. It's like they're both trying to capture something essential about human suffering and resilience. That's what I love about art. It keeps evolving and expanding, inviting us to bring our own experiences and perspectives to the mix.