Reclining Nude (Isabella) 1906

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing of Isabella with what looks like charcoal or conté crayon. It’s all about the line here, which I think of as a record of a movement through space, a little dance between the eye, the hand, and the subject. See how the lines flicker and build up the form of Isabella’s body? There’s a real tension between the dark, assertive strokes and the pale paper peeking through. The overall effect is raw and immediate. It reminds me that artmaking is always a process of discovery, a way of feeling out the world and trying to make sense of it. Looking at this drawing, I can’t help but think about other artists who were wrestling with similar ideas like, maybe, Käthe Kollwitz. Both were interested in the expressive potential of line and the emotional impact of the human figure. Ultimately, this drawing is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, with each artist building on the ideas of those who came before.