Portrait of Miss N. (Miss Nenninger V) 1922

Ludwig Meidner etched this portrait of Miss N. using a drypoint technique, which gives the lines a fuzzy, almost dreamy quality. The marks are raw and immediate; you can feel the artist’s hand as he carves into the plate. I'm really drawn to the way the lines create a sense of volume, especially in her sleeve. It's like Meidner is building form out of pure energy. The lines are so close together, creating a dense, velvety texture. Then, there are these quick, spidery lines that dart across the background. The texture of the piece is amazing, with that rough quality that comes from the drypoint. The way that Meidner varies the pressure and direction of his lines creates a sense of movement and depth. You know, looking at this, I’m reminded of some of the work by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, both artists share this intensity and kind of awkwardness in the expression of the figure. It’s like they’re both trying to capture something that's just beyond the surface.