Hamburg Dancers 1910

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner dashed off "Hamburg Dancers" with ink and pencil, and you can almost feel the speed of his hand trying to catch up with the energy of the dancers. There's such immediacy and movement. The bold strokes create these figures in a way that’s both representational and totally abstract, like a memory of a fleeting moment. I can almost see Kirchner, brush in hand, eyes darting back and forth, trying to capture the essence of the scene, the kick of a leg, the toss of a head. You know, when I look at the economy of line, I'm reminded of other expressionist artists like Emil Nolde, who were also trying to distill emotion into its purest form. These artists were all in conversation with one another, reacting and responding to the same cultural shifts. It’s like they’re all shouting, “Look! Feel! Experience!” I feel like I can hear the music and the beat of the dancer’s feet.