Three Bathers in the Sea c. 1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing of bathers, probably with charcoal or conté crayon. Look at the pressure of the marks, how they vary from thick to thin, dark to light, capturing the mood. It's like seeing Kirchner's own movements, his own body language in those lines. I can imagine Kirchner standing there, maybe feeling the cool breeze and the sun on his skin, trying to capture a fleeting moment of light and shadow. Maybe he was wrestling with how to show the way the water distorts things, how to make those bodies feel like they're really in the landscape. Those quick, angular lines, they're not just describing what he sees, but how he feels about it. I am reminded of other artists, like Matisse, who were all trying to find new ways of seeing and representing the world around them. I see this piece as a reminder that artists are always in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring and challenging one another to push the boundaries of what's possible. Painting is a way of thinking, feeling, and experiencing the world in a completely unique way.