Lyonel Feininger 'Quiet Day by the Sea' 1926

Curator: This silver gelatin print captures Hugo Erfurth's portrait of an unknown performance artist, part of his extensive body of photographic works. Editor: Striking! It feels...wild. There’s an untamed energy radiating from this figure. The hands almost look like claws reaching, or perhaps warding something off. The dress, too, appears both beautiful and ragged. Curator: Indeed, there's a raw and unsettling quality. Given Erfurth's focus on performance artists, this image encapsulates that expressionist drama beautifully. Consider how gelatin silver prints became essential in expressionistic and portrait photography due to the crisp details. It adds this dramatic texture to their face, their expression. Editor: You can practically feel the effort, almost see them fighting something unseen. Is it a scream frozen in a moment, or a triumphant roar? Maybe both, layered. I wonder about that asymmetry in the costume, too – it draws the eye downwards, adding a gravity that holds back the wild upward reach. It is an excellent piece for contemplating duality! Curator: Yes, and while portraits traditionally seek to capture essence or truth, this image seems to explore the internal struggles in an artistic form. Expressionism was characterized, in part, by this fascination with extremes. Editor: It certainly captures that feeling of existing between worlds. Like a phantom limb flexing with forgotten strength! The gray, shadowy tones of the gelatin print serve this ethereal dance so beautifully! Curator: Exactly. Looking at how the expressionistic movement played out after the first world war makes such considerations really rewarding. This piece shows that conflict very vividly through symbols of freedom and imprisonment. Editor: I’m left pondering what demons they battled or perhaps danced with… a haunting, visceral piece of history! Curator: A sentiment perfectly in line with the spirit of the medium! Thank you for adding a further glimpse into our performer.