Girl with Flowers 1923

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this etching, Girl with Flowers, at an unknown date using the etching technique. Kirchner's lines are incredibly direct; each one feels decisive. It’s like he's saying, "This mark belongs here, and it must be this way." Look closely and you'll see how he builds up the image with networks of lines. The girl's figure emerges from a web of foliage, her face and body described with a nervous energy. The lines around her eyes are particularly striking, capturing a sense of alertness and maybe a touch of unease. It’s a bold approach. This reminds me of the work of Käthe Kollwitz, who also used etching to explore themes of human suffering. There's a similar rawness and emotional intensity in their work. Kirchner isn’t trying to create a perfect representation; he's capturing a feeling, an experience. This piece is a great example of how art can be about process, about the journey of making, rather than just the final product.