Two Nudes on a Bed c. 1906

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made “Two Nudes on a Bed” with ink on paper, giving us something raw and immediate. There's a process here that's almost like automatic writing, where the pen just flows, capturing a fleeting moment. I’m drawn to how the stark black ink interacts with the tan paper. It’s like he’s carving out these figures from the nothingness, using the negative space as much as the ink itself. Look at the scribbled lines around the figure on the right – they are frantic and energetic, conveying a sense of restlessness. The beauty of Kirchner’s work, like that of his contemporary, Heckel, lies in this tension between representation and abstraction. He gives you just enough to recognize the scene, but leaves plenty to the imagination. There’s no one “right” way to see it. It’s about feeling your way through the image, letting it resonate with your own experiences and interpretations.