Portrait of Van de Velde 

This is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's stark woodcut, "Portrait of Van de Velde". The dramatic contrast between black and white, achieved through bold cuts into the woodblock, immediately grabs your attention. The portrait is far from a flattering representation. Instead, Kirchner uses harsh lines and planes to construct Van de Velde's face. These sharp angles create a sense of unease, almost as if we're seeing the inner turmoil of the subject rather than a mere likeness. The background, featuring a landscape, is treated with the same aggressive carving, merging figure and ground in a disorienting manner. This technique aligns with the Expressionist movement's goal to convey raw emotion over realistic depiction. Kirchner isn't just showing us what Van de Velde looks like. Instead, through fractured forms and a restless composition, he’s revealing a psychological state, a kind of modern angst that resonates beyond the individual portrait. The crude execution suggests a primal scream against the veneer of bourgeois society. Ultimately, the visual tension embedded in the print highlights the instability of identity in a rapidly changing world.