Bildnis Frau Nelly Fehr 1915

Here's a woodcut by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, probably made in Germany in the early twentieth century. It’s a portrait in black ink, set against a yellow ground. There’s something so gutsy about the way this image is made, the cutting of the wood itself. I imagine Kirchner digging into the block, going at it with real physical force. Look at the way he’s rendered Nelly Fehr’s features – those sharp, angular lines creating a sense of urgency. You get the feeling he's trying to capture something fleeting, not just what she looks like, but a mood, an attitude, and something about the modern world. I always wonder about the relationship between the artist and the sitter. Was Nelly a friend? A lover? Did she sit patiently or fidget while Kirchner worked? In the end, this print reminds me that artists are always reaching out across time, speaking to each other through their work. It feels immediate and intimate.