Boy with Arrow 1928

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this small watercolour, Boy with Arrow, we don’t know exactly when. The colours here are bold and juicy. I love the way Kirchner lets the watercolor bleed and blend, like he’s embracing the medium's natural tendencies. It's like he's not trying to control it too much, which gives the piece a sense of spontaneity and freedom. The way the figure is constructed—almost like a collection of angular shapes—gives him a kind of raw energy. Check out the line of the back in hot pink! The layering of colours around the centre is quite striking as it seems the figure is pushing through the blue and the brown pigments. It reminds me a bit of Munch, who Kirchner admired. Ultimately, this piece feels like a study in capturing a fleeting moment. There is something so exciting about seeing the artist working through a problem, experimenting with form and colour and line and composition, and not worrying too much about the outcome.