Harnessed Team 1930

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing, ‘Harnessed Team,’ with ink on paper. Imagine Kirchner, poised with his pen, ready to dash down the energy of the scene before him. The marks are quick and deliberate, capturing the raw essence of movement. See the almost frenetic energy of the lines? They show us a team struggling, pulling, and pushing forward. I wonder, what was Kirchner thinking about when he made this? Was it the physical effort, the relationship between humans and animals, or the idea of being harnessed, both literally and metaphorically? You know, as a painter, I find myself in similar situations, trying to capture something fleeting, something just out of reach. Kirchner’s drawing reminds us that art is about that search, that struggle to make sense of the world around us. Like, what mark do I make now? What do you think? What do you see?