Abstracte compositie 1920 - 1921

This is a small abstract composition by Erich Wichmann, made with chalk or charcoal. You can see the soft, smudgy marks where the artist has built up the image, one layer at a time. I can just imagine him working on this, maybe in a small room or studio. It's like he's feeling his way through the darkness, searching for a form that's just out of reach. Look at the density of the black and how those marks almost look like strands of hair. It is a visceral, tactile quality that invites you to lean in close and contemplate. I know that feeling. Wichmann's abstract composition reminds me of other artists who were pushing the boundaries of representation like Hilma af Klint. Artists have always borrowed from each other, answering each other across the ages. They use the language of paint and form to communicate something beyond words. It is less about answers, more about finding better questions.