Bathers under Trees 1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this woodcut, Bathers under Trees, and the strong contrast of the black ink on white paper really grabs your attention. The bold, angular cuts give the scene a raw, almost frantic energy. It's clear that Kirchner wasn't interested in depicting some pretty scene, but in conveying a certain feeling. Look at the tree in the upper center – how the leaves are like jagged teeth. This markmaking feels urgent, almost violent, and creates a sense of unease, even within this scene of leisure. Then notice how the figures are rendered; they seem somewhat distorted, their forms broken up by the graphic nature of the woodcut. Kirchner was part of the Expressionist movement and these artists like Edvard Munch weren’t afraid to show the darker sides of human experience, and Kirchner definitely brings that sensibility to this piece. Ultimately, art is about asking questions, not giving answers, and this image is a powerful expression of that idea.