Arching Girls in the Wood 1934

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this etching, Arching Girls in the Wood, sometime in his career, though the date remains elusive. The lines feel nervous and alive, like the forest itself is breathing. It’s like Kirchner is saying, hey, art is a process, not just a product. Look at the bottom left of the image. See how the lines describing the grass don't quite meet, and they sort of fizzle out, or double back on themselves? That's where the magic happens, right there in the imperfection. Kirchner wasn’t trying to hide anything, he lets us see the labor, the doubt, the sheer physicality of making an image. His figures seem related to Edvard Munch, but even more raw, and somehow also more joyful, more liberated. Maybe art is just a conversation between people across time, and Kirchner is reminding us to keep it messy, keep it real, and never be afraid to leave a few loose ends.