Fränzi Reclining 1910

Erich Heckel made "Fränzi Reclining" using woodcut; such a physical process involving carving and printing! Look at how Heckel used solid blocks of color to define the figure and the space around her. The stark contrast between the pink, white, and black creates a really dynamic composition. You can almost feel the pressure of the blade as he cut into the wood, defining the contours of Fränzi’s body and the sharp angles of the couch. It's a far cry from the soft, blended tones you might find in a painting! I keep coming back to the way the hand is rendered - so many individual strokes. It adds a sense of vulnerability, as if she's reaching out. This is something Van Gogh was good at! It really draws you in, doesn’t it? It’s like art is this ongoing conversation, across time. Art is ambiguous, and maybe that’s the point.