Badende im Atelier der Brücke 1910

This is "Bathers in the Studio of the Bridge" by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, drawn with ink around 1910. Kirchner goes right at it, doesn't he? The ink is raw, unblended, and unapologetic! You can see the artist working in the moment, thinking through the process of making. The texture is all in the line, thick and thin, and so quick. I love how the flatness of the page becomes a world, full of suggestions. Look at the scribbles at the bottom of the tub. The ink is so dark and liquid and flows right into that space. What is it? Water, shadows, maybe even just pure feeling? What does it mean? I'm not sure, and I don't think we're supposed to know. That's how it is with art, right? It's more about the questions than the answers. Kirchner reminds me of Picasso, especially his drawings. Both artists were constantly pushing the boundaries of what drawing could be, exploring new ways of seeing and representing the world.