Hamburg, Saint Catherine's Church 1910

Emil Nolde made this print, Hamburg, Saint Catherine's Church, and you can see how he’s really letting the image emerge through the process. It's like he's coaxing the church out of the darkness. I love the material quality here, the way the ink sits on the paper. It’s not trying to be slick or perfect, but has this raw, almost gritty feel. Look at the vertical lines in the foreground – they’re like rain, or maybe even tears, obscuring our view. There’s a little white puff in the middle of the scene that interrupts the order; it's like a question mark hanging in the air. Nolde’s expressionist buddies like Kirchner and Heckel were also trying to tap into some deeper, more primal feelings. But Nolde’s got this lonely, searching quality that feels really distinctive. Art doesn't give us easy answers, but invites us to sit with the questions.