Kirche St. Gereon in Köln II 1914

This is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Kirche St. Gereon in Köln II. It's hard to put a date on it, but it's etched, a process that makes it feel both immediate and like it took a long time. The whole image shimmers because Kirchner’s mark-making feels frenetic. It's all quick, scratchy lines, like he's trying to capture the energy of the city rather than a static view of the church. Look at the way he renders the facade. See how the lines don’t quite meet, creating a sense of unease. It makes me think of other German Expressionists, like Emil Nolde, who were also grappling with how to represent modern life. But Kirchner has a nervous energy all his own. In the end, it's this tension, this feeling that the image could fall apart at any moment, that makes it so compelling. You can almost feel the city vibrating around you.