Der Angler 1923

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this woodcut, Der Angler, and you can just feel the knife cutting into the woodblock, can’t you? I imagine Kirchner really going for it, wrestling with that wood, digging in deep, to pull out this scene of a lone fisherman in nature. I’m really drawn to the way he used the wood grain to suggest movement – the flow of water, the sway of trees. See how the lines are thick and confident? It’s like he’s carving out his own little world, one line at a time. What do you make of the figure, though? Look at the fisherman, standing in the water. Is he patient, or restless? The rough-hewn lines give him a sort of raw, almost primitive energy. The hat and rod lean into the distance, guiding your eye into the unknown. I reckon Kirchner's angling is not just about catching fish, but also about capturing a certain mood or feeling, something wild and untamed.