Sitzander Akt (Nude Sitting) 1918

Curator: I find myself drawn to the stark composition of this print, Sitzender Akt or Nude Sitting, a woodcut crafted by Max Pechstein around 1918. Editor: The severity is what grabs me—it’s emotionally raw. The deep black ink against the paper creates an intensity. Curator: Precisely. Notice how Pechstein has leveraged the black and white contrast not just to define the form but also to dictate the expressive nature of the figure. The dense linear patterns create an almost sculptural volume within the print. Semiotically, one can decode these bold marks as expressions of primal feeling. Editor: What interests me is the manual labour involved in carving this. Think of the physical act of removing the wood to leave those lines standing. It speaks volumes about Pechstein’s direct engagement with the material, and links it to a tradition of folk art and printmaking as a tool of social commentary. This isn't delicate etching; it's a commitment etched in wood. Curator: I appreciate that observation. However, considering Pechstein's involvement with Die Brücke, his emphasis, I believe, lies in capturing subjective experience through simplified forms. It adheres to the tenets of German Expressionism by rejecting naturalism. The rough, almost crude lines and stark contrasts serve to convey the model's psychological state— a kind of unease. Editor: True, but I think overlooking the implications of process impoverishes our understanding. Expression isn't divorced from the method, they are interwoven. And beyond Expressionism, it gestures towards the realities of post-WWI Germany— shortages, reconstruction. The turn to humble materials holds significant socio-economic implications. Curator: Undoubtedly, your point is well-taken. Yet, ultimately, Pechstein's deployment of form, however born from necessity or direct materiality, conveys an almost visceral emotional response to the subject. That circular, almost sun-like image above her breast —what can we say of its symbolic potential? Editor: To think, such direct carving into wood—the physical imprinting of expression, shaped a space of artistic practice during those troubled times. I cannot leave it behind in this contemplation. Curator: Indeed, an exploration where formalism and materiality dance in perpetual insight.