Railway Underpass in Dresden 1926

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this painting, Railway Underpass in Dresden, using oil on canvas. The composition shows a seemingly ordinary street scene in Dresden, but the Expressionist style creates a sense of alienation. This was a time when Germany was rapidly industrializing and its cities were growing quickly. New buildings like train stations and factories changed the landscape and people were moving from rural areas into cities in search of work. This painting reflects the psychological impact of these changes. Note that the viewpoint is from underneath the railway. Instead of looking at the sky, we see dark iron girders. In the distance, the buildings seem to huddle together, as if for protection, dwarfed by the railway. By looking at Kirchner's painting in the context of German history, we can get a better sense of how the country's transformation affected artists and the public at large.