Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte: Die Geliebte (Peter Schlemihl's Wondrous Story: The Beloved) 1915

Curator: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's print, "Peter Schlemihl's Wondrous Story: The Beloved," completed in 1915, is a remarkable example of Expressionist figuration. The choice of medium and its date place it firmly within a period of experimentation and emotional intensity. Editor: The intensity hits you immediately, doesn’t it? The figure seems almost carved from raw emotion, that red… almost painfully exposed. And the lurking shadow… it feels less like observation and more like intrusion. Curator: The printmaking process itself is key to understanding this work. We should consider the labor involved, the act of carving the wood matrix, and then the repeated act of printing. This suggests mass reproducibility but paradoxically, also the uniqueness of each individual print. The vibrant yet earthy colors suggest locally sourced pigments, possibly linked to regional artistic movements. Editor: Yes, the labor. I almost feel the resistance of the wood, the effort, translating into the raw lines of the figure, but it also reminds me a dream… it's surreal… I love how her hair melts into that darkness behind her. Like she's pulling the night around herself for comfort. Curator: Note the use of figuration; while simplified, the form of the figure emphasizes raw physicality and emotion. This relates to broader expressionist concerns – a turn away from academic representation and a commitment to depicting interior experience. The depiction challenges conventional portrayals of the nude, shifting the focus from objectification to vulnerability. Editor: Exactly, it's vulnerability! Like catching her at a private moment. And the gaze… It’s averted, introspective. You wonder about her story, this ‘beloved.’ She becomes a representation of shared anxieties about the body and our modern life in the 20th century. Curator: These are indeed critical factors when considering how this artwork participated in and challenged societal perceptions during a period marked by great change. We begin to understand this image as an outcome of these cultural forces working on Kirchner, his practice and his art. Editor: It is such a wonderfully evocative print! Thank you for allowing me this insight.