Gods' Man: A Novel in Woodcuts #[nn]

In "II. The Mistress," Lynd Ward’s striking woodcut narrative follows an artist whose sudden rise to fame brings him luxury, acclaim, and an enigmatic woman introduced by his ambitious dealer. As his world expands in opulence and attention, the artist finds himself drawn into a relationship that feels less like romance and more like a carefully staged performance.

In "III. The Brand," a tormented artist confronts a haunting truth when he discovers the mistress he’s painted bears the mark of a dollar—her image haunting him across the city in increasingly disturbing scenes. As he’s pursued by her lovers, condemned by a corrupt judge, and driven out by a mob led by the art dealer, the line between creation and corruption blurs in this stark, woodcut-driven tale of obsession and moral decay.

In "IV. The Wife," a young woman finds a broken artist abandoned on a hillside at dawn, and brings him to her hut to heal. As days pass, their quiet life unfolds amid mountains and stars, bound by silence and growing closeness—until the arrival of a child changes everything. Lynd Ward’s haunting woodcuts bring this intimate, wordless journey to life, capturing the quiet intensity of a bond forged in solitude and nature.

In "V. The Portrait," a quiet life of art and family is upended when a painter’s old friend returns with a miraculous brush. Drawn into a final, fateful session, the artist begins to paint the stranger’s portrait—only to witness a terrible truth unfold as the mask is removed. With haunting woodcuts by Lynd Ward, this story lingers in the space between creation and consequence, where beauty and dread are one.