The Neighbor's Daughter or Spring Fever (Nachbars Lenchen oder Frühlings Erwachen) 1919

George Grosz made this drawing with ink on paper, and it feels so raw, doesn't it? It's like he’s thinking right onto the page. The lines are kind of scratchy, but they have this incredible tension, especially the way he draws the stockings, hitting just below mid-thigh. The cross hanging on a necklace and a bow in the hair, these details feel so intentional. It is like the viewer is being asked to complete the story, or to invent their own version of what is going on here. Looking at the awkwardness of the cupid in the background, you realize it’s not about perfection, but about capturing a feeling. And that's what makes it so honest and intimate. Grosz is like Egon Schiele in his raw emotionality and Otto Dix in his biting social commentary; he isn’t afraid to show the messy parts of life and doesn't offer easy answers. This piece stays with you, which is the point.