Two Seated Woman and a Striding Man 

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, a German expressionist painter, made “Two Seated Women and a Striding Man” with watercolor and ink on paper. Kirchner was part of a group of artists interested in conveying intense emotional experiences through their art. The painting's style reflects a desire to capture raw human emotion through the distortion of form. Kirchner was deeply affected by the social and political turmoil of his time, including World War I. His personal experiences with mental health struggles also influenced his approach to art. In a letter to Carl Hagemann he wrote "I want to represent people in their time, with their nerves vibrating". The scene includes two seated women and a striding man. The composition is unconventional and reflects a departure from traditional representations of the human form. The subjects and setting, rendered in vibrant, non-naturalistic colors, evoke a sense of unease. Kirchner’s work encourages us to consider how social and political factors, as well as personal experiences, shape artistic expression. The artwork serves as a reflection on societal anxieties as well as the emotional and personal dimensions of human existence.