The Belgian Frans Masereel counts among the greatest expressionist woodcutters.
Frans Masereel, both artist and humanist, had gained international fame as early as in the 1920s, with his often socio-critical series of woodcuts. Unlike the woodcuts of the German expressionists, Frans Masereel's style is characterized by an almost classicist clearness of forms despite all expressive distortion, which makes for the particular charm of his compositions, and can also be observed ob his oil paintings, watercolors and drawings. Frans Masereel, who was widely acknowledged in Germany, was defamed during the NS dictatorship and could only barely escape Nazi persecution. However, a professorship led him to the School of arts and crafts in Saarbrücken in 1947. Thus Frans Masereel set an example of conciliation that can not be valued enough.
Works by Frans Masereel are part of renowned collections, such as the Berliner Academy of Arts or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.