Peter with a Gunshot Wound in His Forehead 1918

Walter Gramatté made this etching of Peter with a Gunshot Wound in His Forehead using black ink on paper. Look at the way the lines are etched into the plate, so raw and scratchy, full of nervous energy. It reminds me that artmaking is a process of layering thoughts, emotions, and actions. The texture created by the etching process gives the image a tactile quality, like you could feel the pain etched into Peter's face. The lines converge around the eyes, pulling you into his gaze. What do you see there? Fear? Resignation? The dark lines running down from the wound feel like tears, blurring the line between physical and emotional pain. This reminds me of the work of Käthe Kollwitz, another German artist who used printmaking to explore themes of suffering and social injustice. But while Kollwitz's work is often characterized by a sense of somber realism, Gramatté's etching has a more raw, visceral quality. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be pretty, it can be a way to confront the darkness within ourselves and the world around us.