Portrait of Alfred Döblin c. 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing of Alfred Döblin with pencil on paper. It's all about the process here, isn't it? Kirchner's not hiding anything. You can see every line, every correction, every thought he had while making it. Look at the way he renders the hair, it’s all these separate, individual strokes. It's like he’s building the form from the inside out. The lines feel spontaneous but intentional. Even the scribbles around the edges feel like they're part of the conversation. There’s a rawness to it that I find really appealing, it's less about perfect representation and more about capturing the essence of the subject, of the moment. Kirchner's mark-making reminds me of Picasso, in a way – that same willingness to break things down and put them back together in unexpected ways. And like Picasso, Kirchner isn't afraid to embrace ambiguity. He knew art is more interesting when it leaves room for interpretation.