Portrait of Otto Mueller 1915

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this print of Otto Mueller, but when and how are anyone’s guess! Look at the marks, so raw and immediate, it's clear he wasn't aiming for a smooth, blended finish. It's all about the process here, the pushing and pulling of the ink, the bite of the tool on the block. The texture is everything, isn't it? See how the green of Mueller's jacket isn't just green, but a field of different tones, giving it this pulsating, almost chaotic energy. And then there's that face, a mask of sharp, angular lines. I keep coming back to the area behind the head, where the red and blue clash in this weird, unsettling dance. It's like the background is pushing forward, trying to merge with the figure. I'm reminded of Emil Nolde, with that same intensity and willingness to let the materials speak. It's like Kirchner is saying, "Here's a portrait, but it's also a battleground of colors and textures." There’s no single answer, just a lot of exciting questions.