Bather on the Beach 1912 - 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing with ink and watercolor. He has made something so elemental from simple marks on paper. I love to imagine him in his studio, brush in hand, conjuring this scene. What was he thinking as he laid down those strokes of blue – the sea, the sky? Kirchner was one of the founders of the expressionist group Die Brücke. Here, in his drawing, he captures the fleeting moment. That quick line describing the figure’s back – it’s so intimate, so sure. It’s just a few lines, but you know exactly what he’s trying to get at. There's a rawness, a directness in Kirchner's work. I think of other painters like Munch, Nolde, and Heckel. They’re all in this conversation, pushing the boundaries of how we see and feel. We’re all inspired by those that came before. Kirchner’s mark-making feels like a conversation, a kind of call and response.