Murder, plate two from Death and Resurrection

A stark, almost brutal scene unfolds in Otto Mäkilä's "Murder." Two figures dominate the foreground, their forms rendered with jagged, expressive lines typical of drypoint. A victim lies splayed, seemingly lifeless, while another figure, perhaps the perpetrator, looms over them. The artist uses the drypoint technique to great effect, creating deep, velvety blacks and a sense of raw urgency through the burr created by the stylus. This print is plate two from a series titled "Death and Resurrection," made in 1922 when Mäkilä was just eighteen years old. The series reflects a post-World War I sensibility, grappling with themes of violence and human suffering. The stark contrast between light and shadow, and the almost skeletal rendering of the figures, amplify the drama and emotional intensity of the moment, drawing the viewer into a world of profound despair.