Melancholie 1914

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff created “Melancholie” with woodcut printmaking techniques. Imagine him carving into that block, each line a deliberate act of revealing or concealing, and the tension of the expressionist movement. The bold, angular forms speak volumes, don't they? He wasn’t trying to capture a likeness; he was after something deeper. The figure’s face, with its sharp features and downcast eyes, it's like a mask of sadness. I wonder, was Schmidt-Rottluff feeling this way? Or was he capturing something in the air at the time? Look at the way he used the black ink. You feel the weight of the mood, the way he cut away at the wood to let the light in, like little bursts of hope amidst the darkness. It reminds me a bit of some of Munch’s prints. These artists all contribute to an ongoing conversation about the human condition. It's a reminder that art allows for endless perspectives.