Am Wegende (End of the Road) 1920

Heinrich Hoerle made this drawing, Am Wegende, using ink on paper. It’s all about the line. Look at how Hoerle uses hatching to build up tone, allowing the paper to breathe and the image to float. The ink sort of dances across the page. In the central form, we see a gnarly tree trunk, twisting and turning, with these little root-like dangly bits. And then there's this almost forlorn, ghostly figure nearby, adding a touch of the surreal. The marks are so physical, so present, that you can almost feel Hoerle's hand moving across the page, and the rhythmic quality makes it look like it could be a dance! It reminds me a little of Alfred Kubin, who similarly explored psychological landscapes with the pen. But, like all great art, this drawing stands on its own, inviting endless interpretations and refusing to be pinned down.