Berliner Straße mit Droschken in Regen 1925

Curator: This is Lesser Ury's "Berliner Straße mit Droschken in Regen," or "Berlin Street with Horse-drawn Cabs in the Rain," painted in 1925. Editor: Instantly, I get this wistful feeling from the piece. The colors are muted, blending together, and the figures seem caught in a moment of fleeting anonymity amidst the downpour. Curator: That's a common sentiment when viewing Ury’s urban scenes. He often captured Berlin's evolving atmosphere in the early 20th century, particularly focusing on the interplay of light and shadow created by rain or fog and documenting the zeitgeist of modernity. Editor: And it's very much of its time; these fur-lined coats and cloche hats tell a specific story about class, about who is able to exist like this within the city. There's definitely a performance of femininity happening in this very public space. Curator: Indeed. Ury’s artwork gives a window into a time of significant social and economic changes. It could also reflect Ury's experiences as an outsider in Berlin's art scene— a sense of being both present and removed. Editor: That resonates. There is a lack of specificity in their faces that leaves them representative of all women in public, as well as representing none. Curator: His application of paint creates this ethereal feel to it, reflecting a certain transience but also something much more haunting. Ury was never formally recognized by Berlin Academy despite painting these wonderful images of its development. Editor: So, looking closer, there are subtle gestures toward visibility but, tellingly, all of this opulence disappears into the wetness and city-grey. Ury offers, in essence, both a moment of aspirational image-making alongside a commentary on its illusory, superficial nature. Curator: Yes, a painting of surfaces in several senses of the word. Next time you're dodging puddles on a grey day, remember Ury’s capturing of such an existence. Editor: Exactly. And remember who has the privilege to observe it from behind a fur collar.