The Village of Legefeld I (Dorf Legefeld I) 1916

Lyonel Feininger made this print, Village of Legefeld I, using etching, which is like drawing with acid on a metal plate. The marks feel repetitive, kind of obsessive, almost architectural. Look at how he's built the image from tiny hatched lines that create a sense of volume and light. The whole scene shimmers, as if we are seeing the village through a heat haze or a fractured memory. There's a real tension between the precision of the lines and the slightly wonky, dreamlike quality of the composition. The buildings tilt and lean, creating a dynamic, almost unsettling feeling. It's as though the village is about to take flight, or maybe collapse in on itself. You could say the overall effect is both beautiful and a little bit spooky. Feininger’s work reminds me of Paul Klee's playful experimentation with line and form. Both artists invite us to see the world in new and unexpected ways.