Passion II (Leidenschaft II) 1914

Wilhelm Lehmbruck made this print, Passion II, by scratching delicate lines onto a metal plate. The scene depicts bodies intertwined; a nude embracing another form, kneeling. What do you think was going through Lehmbruck's mind when he scratched this scene into being? It's like he's bearing witness to a raw human moment, tender and exposed. I imagine him, poised over the plate, his hand steady but his heart probably racing. There's a quietness to the lines, but also a deep intensity. The work reminds me of other artists, like Rodin, who captured human emotion through the body. They are both artists who delved into the human condition, unafraid to show its beauty and its mess. Artists are always in conversation, you know? Across time and space, they're riffing off each other, inspiring new ways of seeing. And ultimately, that’s what art is all about: an ongoing exchange, embracing uncertainty and celebrating the multiple layers of meaning.