Portrait of Martha Hoerler c. 1926

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this portrait of Martha Hoerler with crayon on paper. The lines feel so immediate, as if he’s trying to capture not just her likeness but a fleeting impression. It’s like he’s drawing what he feels, not just what he sees. I’m drawn to the zig-zagging, almost violent marks to the right of her face, scratched in black and red. It's like a visual echo of the intensity in her gaze, a kind of raw energy that vibrates off the surface. You know, sometimes I feel like my own marks on the canvas are a way to externalize the internal mess, the chaos of feeling. Looking at Kirchner, I’m reminded a bit of Egon Schiele, that same willingness to lay bare the raw nerve, to not shy away from the uncomfortable truths of being human. I guess art's always been a way to keep the conversation going, to push boundaries, and to see the world in a different way.