The Garden Cafe 1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner conjured "The Garden Cafe" with oil on canvas, and honey, it's like stepping into a dream! See those swift strokes of ochre, green and black that bring this scene to life, all loaded with feeling. Imagine Kirchner, brush in hand, a total sympathy for the guy; did he capture the scene in a single breath, or did it slowly unfurl? The figures around the table aren’t too worried about naturalism, but they get the point across, right? The paint has a certain thickness, giving weight to the scene, the cafe's interior coming alive through the rich textures. It's like he's whispering, "Hey, you're not alone!" and you're not! Kirchner's painting exists in a space with the work of other artists like Munch, and you can see how they were all checking each other out, and how we are now too! Each generation builds on the energy of those before, pushing the language of painting ever forward. What do you see?