Frans Masereel

Frans Masereel (1889-1972) was a Belgian artist and one of the most celebrated woodcut artists of the 20th century. Masereel is best known for his powerful black and white woodcuts that vividly depict themes of social injustice, human suffering, and resistance against oppression. His graphic works were highly influential in the development of the wordless novel, particularly in the early 20th century, a genre that uses sequences of captionless images to tell a story. Did you know? Masereel’s most famous work, «Passionate Journey» (1919), tells the story of a man’s experiences in a modern city through 165 woodcuts, capturing a wide range of human emotions and critiques of societal conditions without the use of a single word. His work is characterized by its expressionist style, with stark contrasts and simple, yet expressive figures that powerfully convey the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit. This is a true gem of our collection of printmakers’ names. The results are powerful and full of personality. The Midlibrary score is 9/9!