Self-Portrait (Melancholy of the Mountains) 1929

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this striking woodcut, using just black and blue, to capture something of himself. It feels like a jagged, emotional landscape. You can see how he really dug into the wood, making these strong, almost brutal cuts. It’s like he’s carving out his feelings, not just an image. He may have been thinking about what it means to be alone with your thoughts, up there in the mountains. The other figure is a shadow, or perhaps another version of himself, trying to escape, but forever bound. Kirchner was part of a group called ‘Die Brücke’, and they were all about expressing raw emotion. When I look at this, I think about other artists who have bared their souls. It’s as if all artists, across time, are having this ongoing conversation, a sort of call and response. It leaves you with a feeling that’s open to interpretation, as the best art should be.