Vaudeville Theater (English Dancing Couple) 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this oil painting, 'Vaudeville Theater (English Dancing Couple),' around 1907. Look at how he's used these vibrant, almost clashing colors, and broken up the forms with sharp, jagged lines. You can really see the influence of the Fauves, those wild beasts of early modernism, in his approach. The surface is alive, thick with paint, and the way he's applied it is so physical; you can practically feel the energy of his brushstrokes. Notice the woman's skirt, a whirlwind of blue and white, it's like he's captured a moment of pure movement. Then check out the man's face, that smear of pink for his cheek, so simple but so evocative. It's interesting to compare Kirchner to someone like Edvard Munch. They both explore intense emotions and psychological states in their work, but where Munch is all angst and despair, Kirchner brings this raw, almost manic energy to his paintings. It’s this tension between beauty and unease that keeps me coming back.