Landscape [verso] 1913

Erich Heckel made this landscape drawing with graphite on paper. His approach to mark-making is immediate, each stroke feels like a quick reaction to the scene. Look at the large form that cuts across the foreground. It seems to resemble a fallen tree trunk, rendered with rapid, sketchy lines. The lines are dense and dark, giving it a sense of weight, but also instability, as if it could shift or crumble at any moment. This relates to the way Heckel and other Expressionists were trying to find new ways of seeing and representing a world that felt like it was changing very quickly. The zigs and zags above the mountains add to the drama. It’s as if Heckel saw the landscape as a set of gestures, a way of turning visual data into something expressive. You might see echoes of Van Gogh in this piece. Both artists share a desire to express the intensity of their feelings through their artwork.