Kokottenkopf with Feathered Hat 1910

This is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 'Kokottenkopf with Feathered Hat', a print made with colour woodcut at an unknown date. It's a small thing, just over a foot high, but it vibrates. The pink background feels scrubbed on, fighting with the lurid yellow of the face. The hat is a riot of clashing reds and blacks, all rough lines and jagged edges. You can practically feel the grain of the wood, the artist really leans into the physicality of it. Look closely at the way the black ink bleeds slightly around the edges, giving the whole image a slightly out-of-focus quality. It’s like a fleeting glimpse, a memory half-forgotten. The crude lines feel reminiscent of Edvard Munch, with a similar taste for exploring the seedier side of life, and a fearlessness with his materials. Ultimately, it is about an attitude of exploration, of embracing the unexpected that makes art a journey, rather than a destination.