Deliberation (Beratung) 1913

This is Christian Rohlfs' "Deliberation," and I'm imagining him wrestling with this block of wood, carving out these figures deep in conversation. It’s like he's eavesdropping on some secret meeting, revealing only fragments of their thoughts through these stark contrasts. I wonder what they’re arguing about? Look at the sharp, angular cuts—the way the light seems to catch on the edges of their faces, as if illuminated by the intensity of the moment. The texture is so present; you can almost feel the grain of the wood. Each line feels deliberate, cutting away at the surface to expose the tension bubbling beneath. Rohlfs is in dialogue with other expressionists, but he's got his own thing going on here. This piece is a reminder that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists, ideas, and materials. And sometimes, the most profound statements are made in the spaces between the lines.