Ski Jump 1936

Editor: This is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's "Ski Jump," from the Harvard Art Museums. The graphic quality of the print is striking. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on modern leisure and its associated labor. Consider the woodblock technique: the raw, unrefined cuts reflect the strenuous, physical process of creating the image itself. It mirrors the labor involved in constructing and maintaining the ski jump, and the leisure pursuits of the figures portrayed. Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the connection between the printmaking process and the subject. Curator: Exactly. The sharp, angular lines also evoke the potential dangers inherent in this leisure activity and the alienation of the human form amid industry. Do you think Kirchner is romanticizing or critiquing modern life? Editor: It feels like a warning, now that you point out the dangers and the alienation. I'll definitely look at prints differently now!