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Rocky Stream

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1919

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern Landscape

Dominant colour

Rocky Stream is a 1919 ink by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
When & what style?: 1919
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows a rough, jagged landscape with sharp black lines and patches. Twisted trees and rocky ground fill the scene, all in stark black and white. The edges look uneven, like the paper itself was torn or scratched. The artist used a printing method that lets ink sit on a smooth stone before pressing it onto paper. This creates the bold, uneven lines you see here. Check out lithography to see how this technique works.