The Spider (Die Spinne) 1914

George Grosz made this etching, The Spider, and like all prints, it's about process. The acid bites into the metal, leaving these delicate, scratchy lines that build up to create this intense, brooding image. The stark black and white, the way the figure emerges from the darkness, hands clasped in what could be prayer or despair, creates an emotional tension. It's almost gothic, like a haunted German Expressionist take on Edvard Munch's The Scream, but with a more cynical edge. There's something theatrical about the figure's pose, the way she seems caught in a spotlight. Look at the spidery lines in the background, almost chaotic, and how they contrast with the relative smoothness of the figure’s face. It’s unsettling, and there is a connection between this image and the prints of Käthe Kollwitz, both capturing the unease and anxieties of their time. Art is about seeing, feeling, and letting the process lead you, even into the darkness.