At Night 1986

Edvard Munch made this print, "At Night," and it's all about mark-making as feeling. Look how the lines build up and dissolve into each other. The starkness of the etching—the scratching into the plate—that’s what gives this image its raw emotional power. The contrast between the figure and the ominous shadows, it’s all so physical, so immediate. The dark, brooding lines to the left aren't just a shadow. They’re a dense thicket, a weight pressing in. Munch captures something essential about human experience. The naked figure has these simple lines, but she looks completely exposed. It reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker, that same raw, unflinching look at the body and the self. What do you think?