Oberkörper einer Frau, zurückgelehnt c. 1910

Here's Kirchner's "Oberkörper einer Frau, zurückgelehnt," a drawing done with ink on paper. It's all about the line, isn't it? Thick, confident strokes that define the reclining figure with such directness. I'm thinking about Kirchner, back in his studio. He had to be so present, so attuned to the moment, to lay down these marks. Each one a decision, a commitment. The ink flows, the hand moves, and there she is, this figure emerging from the white ground. It makes me wonder what he was thinking when he drew her? There’s a real simplicity to the gesture. The way he renders her hair and fingers with these quick, almost impatient strokes, you can feel his energy. It reminds me of other expressionist drawings, maybe a bit like some of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s nudes. It’s all part of this conversation, artists riffing off each other, pushing the boundaries of what drawing can be. It's nice to think about artists in conversation, isn't it?