Marcella 1910

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner captured this image of a woman in paint with thick outlines, a stark palette, and piercing eyes. I can almost feel Kirchner’s urgency. He’s working fast, not fussing over details, but trying to capture something essential, maybe even a little uncomfortable. There’s a tension in the way the colors clash. That acidic yellow background against the deep blues of the striped cloth; it's unnerving. Those dark eyes, too, feel like a portal into some hidden feeling. I wonder if Kirchner was trying to capture a fleeting moment, a feeling of unease or alienation? It reminds me a little of Munch, of course, but with a rawer, more direct energy. It's like he’s saying, "This is what it feels like to be alive right now, in all its messy, contradictory glory." And you know what? I think he nailed it.