Street Scene with an Omnibus 1914

This etching, *Street Scene with an Omnibus*, captures Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's vision of a bustling city street with nervous, scratchy marks. I like to imagine Kirchner bending over a plate, intensely working the metal, and seeing the forms emerge from a dark and mysterious ground. What's so great about this print is how the lines vibrate with a raw and unsettling energy. Look at those figures, all sharp angles and elongated forms. You can almost feel the city's frenetic pace and the alienation of modern life. There's a tension here, and a sense of unease that reminds me of other German Expressionist artists like Heckel and Schmidt-Rottluff. These guys were all wrestling with similar themes of urban anxiety. They were all in dialogue, challenging and inspiring one another. The city becomes like a distorted mirror reflecting back our own fears and desires.