Bildnis Frau Nelly Fehr 1915

This portrait of Frau Nelly Fehr is an expressive woodcut by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, printed in black ink on a stark yellow background. It's a striking image, and the way the ink sits on the paper makes you feel like you’re right there in the artist's studio. Look at how Kirchner uses those bold, almost violent lines to define Nelly's features. The texture is rough, raw, each stroke a testament to the physical act of carving into the woodblock. The way the black ink is laid down so heavily in some areas, and barely there in others, gives the image a real sense of depth and energy. And that splash of yellow behind it all! It’s like a spotlight, but also somehow unsettling. The raw intensity reminds me of Munch, especially in the way both artists use their materials to convey psychological states. It's this kind of raw, unapologetic emotion that keeps me coming back to Kirchner's work.