Dancing Couple c. 1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing of a Dancing Couple with pastel crayons, it's now here at the Städel Museum. Kirchner’s mark-making is all about raw energy, the kind that leaves a trace of the process itself. Looking at this, you can almost feel the pressure of the crayon on the paper. See how the blue pastel is layered, scumbled to create this vibrant but unsettling atmosphere. The texture is so immediate, so raw, that it feels like you could reach out and touch it. This roughness isn’t just about the surface; it's about the emotional state Kirchner was exploring. Notice the dancer’s tutu, a cloud of white scribbles, it’s both ethereal and kind of frantic. Kirchner, like Edvard Munch, knew how to make color and line carry the weight of feeling. It’s not just about what you see, but how it makes you feel, a conversation that continues to echo through art history.