Leuchtturm im Grünen, Fehmarn 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner created this print, "Lighthouse in Green, Fehmarn" with etching. It's like looking through a window into a dream, isn't it? The marks here are all about energy. The needle scratches the plate in quick, darting lines, creating a web of texture. Look at the way the lines build up to describe the lighthouse, then explode outwards for the foliage. It's like the whole scene is vibrating. The physicality of the medium is so present here, isn't it? You can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the copper, the bite of the acid. And that stark contrast, the way the black ink sits on the white paper, gives it this incredible graphic punch. Kirchner was a master of this kind of raw, expressive line. Think of Edvard Munch and his angst-ridden landscapes. This print is like a cousin to those, a little quieter maybe, but just as full of feeling.