Under the arcades 

August Macke sketched "Under the arcades" in an unknown year using graphite. Macke lived in a time of significant cultural transformation. He died very early in the First World War at only 27 years old. This work captures a fleeting moment in a public space, a theme recurrent in Macke's oeuvre, and it serves as a mirror reflecting the era's changing social fabric and personal experiences. The arcade, a site of commerce and leisure, becomes a stage where gender, class, and identity intersect. The figures, rendered with loose strokes, convey a sense of anonymity, suggesting a world in which individual identities are both asserted and submerged within the crowd. Macke himself wrote about his desire to capture "the vibration and mystery of life." The work prompts a dialogue about the complexities of modern life and questions the roles individuals play within society. "Under the arcades" reflects the tensions between tradition and modernity, inviting viewers to explore the transient nature of identity.