Three Bathers by Stones 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this colorful woodcut, “Three Bathers by Stones,” by carving into a block of wood, layering pinks, blues and reds to create a scene of figures by the water. Imagine the labor, carving away at the wood, inking it, pressing it onto paper! I see the influence of other artists like Edvard Munch here, in the way Kirchner uses line and color to convey emotion. But he is also doing his own thing. The figures are stylized, elongated, and the colors are intense. I can imagine him thinking about the relationship between humans and nature, the way we both blend in and stand out from our surroundings. The black lines surrounding the figures are like boundaries; they contain and define the figures but also seem to vibrate against the pink flesh. Painters are always looking at each other’s work, borrowing ideas, and pushing them in new directions. It’s like we’re all in conversation, trying to figure out what painting can do. Kirchner’s woodcut feels unresolved, but it's that very ambiguity that makes it so compelling.