Head of a Woman (Kopf Groß) 1912

This is "Head of a Woman," an etching made by Wilhelm Lehmbruck, printed on paper. The approach to mark making here is all about the suggestive power of the line. Each one feels like a question, carefully placed, contributing to a sense of searching. The physical details are pretty important when you look at an etching. The lines are fine, precise, and yet there's a looseness, a sketchiness to the overall feel. Look closely and you can see the delicate cross-hatching that builds up the shadows and gives the face its volume. But it's the area around the eyes that gets me – a web of tiny lines creating a sense of depth and emotion, like you're peering into the soul of the subject. Lehmbruck, who was also a sculptor, made a lot of prints and drawings. His work often explores themes of melancholy and introspection. There is something of Edvard Munch in the psychological intensity, the way he captures the fragility and complexity of the human experience. But ultimately, it's the ambiguity, the lack of easy answers, that makes this piece so compelling.