Bäuerin mit Knaben am Tisch (Frau Schmid mit Sohn Martin) 1917

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this striking woodcut, ‘Bäuerin mit Knaben am Tisch,’ portraying Frau Schmid and her son Martin with the stark, graphic quality that defines Expressionism. Woodcut is an age-old process, yet Kirchner treats it in an original way. You can see how he has gouged the block with real force, leaving raw, angular marks. The black ink sits proud on the paper, giving the image a tactile presence. This wasn't just a picture; it was an object made through strenuous labor. The stark contrasts echo the social realities of the time. The figures emerge from the darkness, hinting at the hardships of rural life. It’s a world away from the polite society often depicted in art. Kirchner’s embrace of woodcut as a medium wasn't just aesthetic; it was a deliberate choice to engage with a tradition rooted in popular culture, a stark contrast to the refined techniques of academic art. By understanding the material and the making, we can see how Kirchner challenged those traditional boundaries.