The Murder 1920

Hans Meid made this etching on a plate sometime in the early 20th century. It’s called ‘The Murder,’ and you can see the anxious energy of his lines, like a dark scribble trying to claw its way out. Look at the figures: they're all tangled up, a mess of frantic marks. Is that a painting to the right, some kind of weird witness? Meid doesn't let anything sit still; everything is vibrating. It's like he's saying, “Hey, making art is about getting your hands dirty, wrestling with the subject until it gives you something real.” You can almost feel him scraping and scratching at the plate, trying to pull out some kind of truth. I'm reminded a bit of Käthe Kollwitz, especially in how Meid uses the darkness to talk about the messy, complicated stuff of life. This piece isn't about pretty pictures; it's about digging deep and not being afraid of what you find. Art's not always supposed to be neat and tidy, you know? Sometimes, it's about the struggle.