Frauenkirch c. 1924

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing, Frauenkirch, with ink on paper. The sweeping lines climb up and around the mountains, a bit like following a scenic route. I can imagine him standing there, maybe with a sketchbook, trying to capture the hugeness and beauty of the landscape with just a few strokes. Kirchner’s got this way of making every line count, you know? They’re not just describing shapes; they're filled with energy. The ink is laid down in such a way, it feels like he’s trying to contain the landscape but also let it burst forth. I think of other artists too, like Van Gogh, who also wrestled with how to get all the life they saw onto the page. It’s like they’re all talking to each other across time, trying to figure out how to translate what they feel into something we can see and feel too. It's all one big conversation!