Cocotte on the Road 1915

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this print, Cocotte on the Road, using a woodblock. The first thing that grabs you is the raw energy, right? The way he's wrestling with the wood to get these jagged lines and intense colors. It’s all about the process. Look closely at the woman's face – see how he's carved the lines around her eyes? They’re kind of desperate, a little wild. And then there's that splash of yellow light behind her, pushing her forward. It's almost violent, but also kind of thrilling, like the city itself. It reminds me of Munch, that feeling of anxiety, but Kirchner’s doing his own thing, pushing the boundaries of color and form. The guy's not just depicting a scene, he's throwing you right into the thick of it. Art is a conversation, and Kirchner shouts to be heard.