Straßenbahn und Eisenbahn 1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made “Straßenbahn und Eisenbahn” with oil on canvas sometime during his career, and what strikes me is the boldness of the color choices. It’s like he's making it up as he goes along, deciding, “Okay, that building? It's pink now.” The paint is applied pretty thickly. You can see the brushstrokes, especially in the sky. The color isn't blended smoothly; it’s more like slabs of color next to each other, creating this raw, almost clunky feel. Check out the little pink and red buildings, they're doll-like. I’m thinking about the slightly naive perspective, the flattening of space, and the overall sense of unease. Kirchner, like other Expressionists, was probably interested in conveying a feeling, an experience of the city, rather than a literal depiction. It reminds me a little of Beckmann's claustrophobic cityscapes, but with a brighter, maybe more manic energy. With this work Kirchner is almost inviting us to question our perceptions and embrace a more subjective, emotional way of seeing.