Bathing Women 1909

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this print, “Bathing Women,” and it feels like he dove right in, didn't sketch it out, just started cutting and printing. It has that immediate, raw energy I love. Look at how he uses color – these blues, yellows, and reds aren't trying to mimic reality. They're there to amp up the emotional volume. The woodcut gives it a physical punch, the lines are bold, almost violent. It’s a process of push and pull, carving away and adding, figuring it out as you go. The red outline around the figures is particularly striking. It separates them from the background, but also makes them feel like they’re vibrating, alive. Kirchner, like Munch, was interested in how art can express intense feeling. They both show us how ambiguity can be a strength, a way to open up the work to different interpretations.