Ex libris van Gianni Mantero 1907 - 1985

This is Erna Levy Friedländer’s Ex libris van Gianni Mantero, a woodcut in black and white. Woodcuts, they’re so physical, like wrestling with the material itself. The cuts and gouges define the image, but it's also about what’s left behind, you know? Look at the bold lines, the way she's carved out this figure, this confident, almost gleeful figure. And the texture! You can almost feel the grain of the wood. Notice how the negative space becomes just as important as the figure itself, it creates a tension. The ‘Ex Libris’ is draped across her lower body. It's like she’s wearing it, owning it, maybe even challenging the idea of ownership itself. Reminds me of some of the German Expressionists, Käthe Kollwitz maybe, with the raw emotion and graphic style. But Friedländer brings her own twist. It's a conversation, a dialogue across time and artists. It's not about answers, but about keeping the questions alive.