Drie vrouwelijke naakten 1919

Wilhelm Lehmbruck made this print, “Drie vrouwelijke naakten,” using etching. I find it interesting when artists embrace the linear qualities of etching, allowing the process to remain visible in the final image. The figures are lightly rendered, almost floating on the paper. I’m drawn to the varying line weights, thin and delicate in some areas, thicker and more assertive in others. The textures have a tactile presence. I can almost feel the smoothness of the paper and the slight bite of the etched lines. There's a beautiful sense of light and shadow created by the density of the lines, which adds depth to the composition. In the seated figure, the artist captures a sense of weight and form with just a few strokes. It reminds me of Picasso’s printmaking, particularly his use of line to suggest volume and space. Ultimately, the print invites us to slow down and appreciate the beauty of simplicity and the expressive potential of a single line. It celebrates the messy, intuitive process of artmaking.