Landscape in the Taunus (Landschaft im Taunus) (recto) and Signs of the Times V- Into Dust with All Enemies (Symbole der Zeit V- In Staub mit allen Feinden) (verso) 1916

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this print of the Taunus landscape using lithography, meaning he drew on a stone and then printed it. Can you imagine him there? The marks are so urgent, like he’s trying to capture the feeling of the place before it disappears. See how the lines in the sky aren’t just clouds, they’re energy, vibrating with an almost nervous intensity. And then the solid dark mountain, like a grounding force. The dark marks give it a real graphic punch. I wonder if he was thinking about earlier printmakers, like Dürer, but trying to push it, make it more raw. Kirchner’s definitely in conversation with other artists. He’s saying something about how we see, how we feel, and how a simple mark can carry so much weight. It's like he’s inviting you to feel the place, not just look at it, and maybe that’s the best any artist can do.