Lying nude c. 1923

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing with ink, and what strikes me is how immediate and direct the marks are. It’s like watching him think, right there on the paper. The ink is applied with such freedom, like he’s not precious about it at all. Look at the way he defines the form of the body with just a few bold strokes, there’s a lovely tension between description and abstraction. Then see the way the hair falls in these bold swathes of black ink, it's so alive. This particular passage seems so indicative of Kirchner’s wider practice – that pursuit of freedom and expression. This reminds me a little of Matisse's line drawings, but with more of an edge, more angst. It is like Kirchner is wrestling with the subject. It's not just about observation; it's about feeling and conveying that feeling through the simplest, most direct means. And that’s what makes it so powerful.