Gezicht op de Potsdammer Platz 1891 - 1931

Ernst Pickardt made this print of the Potsdammer Platz, and it looks like he used etching, judging from all the fine, scratchy lines that build up the image. I love the way the buildings and trams are created with what looks like a nervous energy – a real sense of urgency, like the city is on the move. And that tree in the foreground! It almost obscures the view, but I think that was Pickardt’s point. It’s like the city is so overgrown that you can barely see through it, a snarl of urban growth. Look closely, and you can see how he’s layered those etched lines to give the tree depth and texture. It’s not just a flat shape; it’s got weight. For me, this piece is about how we experience a place, more than about the place itself. It reminds me of some of Christopher Nevinson’s etchings, though Pickardt feels less brutal, a little gentler somehow. Ultimately, it’s an image that embraces the messy, chaotic beauty of a city in motion.