Two Women 1912

Curator: This is Karl Schmidt-Rottluff’s “Two Women,” currently held at the Tate. The dimensions are roughly 76 x 84 cm. Editor: Stark. Those angular forms and earthy tones—they convey a feeling of unease, almost… primal. Curator: Rottluff, as part of Die Brücke, was interested in the materials themselves. Note the visible brushstrokes and how the medium contributes to the raw emotionality. Editor: The figures are so stylized, almost mask-like. Do you think he was drawing on African or Oceanic art? The faces seem less about individual identity and more about archetypes. Curator: It’s likely. The Expressionists certainly engaged with non-Western art. The social context of that engagement is complex, a negotiation of power and influence. Editor: Absolutely. Seeing the figures as symbols, though, I feel a strong sense of introspection, a mirroring, perhaps, of the viewer's own subconscious. Curator: A fascinating interpretation. Ultimately, viewing artwork like this reminds us how artistic expression is always enmeshed in production and cultural exchange. Editor: Yes, and how symbols speak across time.