Mountain Slope with Goats 1920

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this print, "Mountain Slope with Goats," using etching, and it feels like he’s really digging into the surface, doesn’t it? The marks are scratchy and urgent, like he’s trying to capture the essence of the landscape in a hurry, or maybe the goats were running away! Look at the way the lines build up, layer upon layer, especially on the main slope. It’s almost like he's carving the mountain out of thin air. The texture feels rough and wild, like the mountains themselves. And those goats, scattered across the slope, are just these little scribbles, but they bring the whole scene to life. You can almost hear their bells tinkling. Kirchner’s mark-making reminds me a bit of Van Gogh’s energy, that restless need to get everything down, to capture the feeling of a place. It's about the process of seeing and feeling, not just representing. Art’s like that, always a conversation, never a final word.