Nächtliche Kirche (Church by Night) 1921

This is "Church by Night" by Karl Wilhelm Arthur Illies, a print with incredible energy, it looks like it could have been made anytime. The process is right there on the surface. The etched lines create both the structure of the church and an atmospheric sense of foreboding. The brickwork is rendered with thick, choppy lines. Each mark feels like a physical encounter with the plate. See the way he varies the color: the church glows with a fierce, internal light. The sky above is a murky teal, full of scratches and smudges. The crowd in the foreground is a blur of tiny strokes, like a swarm of insects. It reminds me of some of Kirchner's street scenes, a shared interest in the psychological weight of the city. It embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations, a true print-lovers print!