Still Life With Figure
1930
Medium
wood engraving in black
Dimensions
image: 305 x 254 mm paper: 419 x 346 mm
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams
Accession Number
2008.115.1998
Art Historical Context
"Still Life With Figure" is a striking 1930 wood engraving by Emil Ganso, rendered in black ink on paper. Created during a period when printmaking flourished in the United States, the work measures just over a foot in height and combines the quiet intimacy of a still-life arrangement with the presence of a human figure. Ganso’s choice of medium highlights the precision and tonal range possible in wood engraving, a technique that carves fine lines into the end grain of hardwood to produce crisp, detailed impressions. Wood engravings like this one allowed artists to explore rich contrasts of li...