Japanese 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner created this oil painting, ‘Japanese’, sometime in his career, now hanging out in Aargauer Kunsthaus. I can almost feel Kirchner dabbing and stroking at the canvas, lost in the act of painting. There’s such an interesting mix of vibrant colors and subtle textures. I find myself wondering what Kirchner might have been thinking as he laid down those first strokes of blue, building up the layers, responding to the emerging image. I’m really drawn to the way the red marks dance across the blue fabric. The paint isn't too thick, but it has enough body to catch the light and create these really lovely moments of texture. These marks speak to the sheer physicality of painting, the way the artist's hand moves across the canvas, leaving behind a record of thought and feeling. It reminds me of other painters like Matisse, who had a knack for capturing a certain kind of feeling with a few simple shapes. Painting is a conversation across time, a constant exchange of ideas.