Nude with Upraised Arm

Art Historical Context

**Nude with Upraised Arm a striking woodcut created by Max Weber between 1919 and 1920, captures the modernist spirit of the early 20th century., a Russian-born American pivotal in New York's avant-garde scene, drew from Cubism and Expressionism, blending geometric abstraction with emotional intensity. This intimate print depicts a nude figure with anraised arm, rendered in bold black lines on laid paper, emphasizing and movement through simplified contours. Woodcuts, as a relief printing technique, allow for crisp, high-contrast images carved directly into wood blocks—a method Weber employed to explore the nude's timeless allure amid post-World War I innovation. Measuring just 10.8 × 5.08 cm for the image on a larger 25.72 × 16.51 cm sheet, its small scale invites close contemplation, highlighting the medium's tactile precision and affordability for broader audiences. Generously gifted by Jack and Margrit Vanderryn to the National Gallery of Art's Print department, this work exemplifies Weber's printmaking prowess, bridging traditional craft with modernist experimentation. Visitors will appreciate its raw energy, a window into an era when artists like Weber redefined the human form.

About the Artist

Max Weber · 1881–1961

Max Weber (1881–1961), born in Białystok in the Russian Empire (now Poland) to Orthodox Jewish parents, immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, at age ten with his family, joining his tailor father.) There, he pursued art studies at the Pratt Institute under Arthur Wesley Dow, an innovative teacher who emphasized expression and form over traditional narrative, drawing from Japanese art and Paul Gauguin....