Porträt Dr. Oskar Kohnstamm 1916

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this woodcut, Porträt Dr. Oskar Kohnstamm, sometime in the early twentieth century. Look at how Kirchner's carved strokes become a way of describing not just a face, but also a mood. It's like he's wrestling with the wood, and the image emerges from this struggle. There's a real tension between the stark black and white areas. See how the lines around the eyes and mouth are so deliberate, like deep furrows etched into the face? This isn’t just a portrait, it's an exploration of character, the way someone’s inner life can be mapped onto their features. The bold, almost brutal cuts remind me a bit of Emil Nolde’s woodcuts, both artists unafraid to push the medium to its expressive limits. Ultimately, this print reminds us that art isn't about capturing a perfect likeness, but about finding truth in the act of making, embracing the beauty of imperfection.