Vrouw en meisje in tuin 1892 - 1928

Johannes Löhr made this print of a woman and girl in a garden with etching. Look at the way he's built up the image with all these tiny, vibrating lines, like he's mapping out not just what he sees, but also the very act of looking. The whole surface buzzes with this energy, a kind of organized chaos. Notice how the shadows are just as active as the light, maybe even more so, creating this dense, almost claustrophobic space. The branches and leaves around the figures seem to be moving. It’s not a perfect rendering, and that’s the beauty of it. I'm reminded of the graphic work of Käthe Kollwitz, who was also working in Germany at the turn of the century. Both artists share a similar commitment to social commentary, using graphic art as a means of engaging with the pressing issues of their time, but also an incredible sense of line. Art, for me, is about the ongoing conversation of ideas.