Fehmarn Girls 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this woodcut, "Fehmarn Girls", by carving into a block of wood and printing it with black ink on bright yellow paper. Just imagine the physical act of carving, the artist digging into the wood, each cut a decisive act, defining these figures with bold, graphic lines. Looking at this image, I can almost feel Kirchner's energy. What was he thinking as he created these girls? The sharp, angular lines create a sense of unease, a raw, almost primal feeling. The way the black ink contrasts with the yellow is so striking, so bold, that it almost feels like a challenge. See how the heavy, dark lines carve out the faces, distorting and exaggerating their features? It’s uncomfortable, but also fascinating. Kirchner was part of a group of artists who wanted to shake things up, to break free from tradition. He’s in conversation with Edvard Munch and other expressionist painters who explored the darker sides of human experience through the materiality of paint, the physicality of the medium. These artists remind us that painting is about feeling, about pushing boundaries, and about constantly questioning the world around us.