Fünf Tänzerinnen in Parade. – Fünf Spagattänzerinnen 1911

This is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's, 'Five Dancers in Parade, Five Splits Dancers'. It’s hard to put a date on it, but it lives here at the Städel Museum. Look closely, and you’ll see this isn't about perfect lines. It’s about the raw energy of the stage! The marks feel urgent and spontaneous. Kirchner's not trying to hide the process; he’s flaunting it. You can almost feel the wood against the paper and the artist’s hand moving quickly. The colors, though limited, are bold and punchy. Focus on the dancer at the bottom right. Her form is suggested with jagged, broken lines. Her pose is dynamic; you can almost feel the stretch and strain of her muscles. It's this tension between representation and abstraction that gives the work its power. Kirchner's work often reminds me of Edvard Munch; both artists were interested in capturing the intensity of human experience. Ultimately, this piece is about the joy of movement. It’s about capturing a fleeting moment, a burst of energy, and the sheer exuberance of life.