Galerie im Café Vaterland am Potsdamer Platz, Berlin 1920

Lesser Ury painted this lively scene of the Galerie im Café Vaterland in Berlin with oils on canvas. Look at how the brushstrokes capture the light reflecting off those chandeliers! It’s like he’s painting pure energy. The way Ury builds up the paint, thick in some areas and almost translucent in others, gives the scene a real sense of depth and atmosphere. Notice the chair in the foreground, the one with its back turned to us. See how the dark, almost black outline contrasts with the warmer tones of the wood? It's like a portal, drawing us into the bustling café. The loose, expressive brushwork reminds me of some of Manet’s café scenes. Both artists had a knack for capturing the fleeting moments of modern life, the energy and excitement of people coming together. Ury, like all great artists, is in conversation with the painters of the past, remixing ideas and techniques to create something new and entirely his own.