Männer im Boot II (Men in a Boat II) 1918

Edwin Scharff made this print, Männer im Boot II, sometime in the early 20th century, using etching on paper. The lines here are so delicate and kind of jittery, like he’s trying to capture something fleeting. Looking at this, I’m drawn to the way the etched lines create a sense of movement, or maybe anxiety. The forms are angular, almost sharp, but they don’t quite resolve into clear figures. It’s like a puzzle that keeps shifting as you look at it. See how some of the lines are dark and definite, while others are faint and sketchy? It’s almost like he’s mapping out different possibilities, different ways of seeing these “men in a boat.” The whole thing has this unsettled feeling, like the image is about to dissolve or transform. This reminds me of Max Beckmann, who also used printmaking to explore themes of alienation and psychological turmoil. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to be pretty, sometimes it can be a way of grappling with the darker aspects of human experience, too.