Mood Nocturnal -.. Old Bridge Bell Isle.. 1911

This moody woodcut, "Mood Nocturnal - Old Bridge Bell Isle," was made in 1911 by Harry Muir Kurtzworth. Look how the color's been laid, almost like a wash, creating this quiet, dusky atmosphere. You can almost feel the stillness of the night. It’s all about the surface here. See how the gray-blue ink sits on the paper? It’s not quite flat, not trying to hide its texture. I find myself drawn to the lower section of the piece, to the subtle ripples of the water. You can see the lines where the artist has worked to create the sense of movement, that feeling of something barely there. It's like Kurtzworth is pulling us into a secret world. This print reminds me of Whistler's nocturnes, that same love of capturing a mood rather than a scene. Both artists revel in the power of suggestion, leaving plenty of room for our imaginations to wander. It is a testament to the fact that art is not just about seeing, but about feeling.