Two Female Nudes 

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing, Two Female Nudes, using red and blue chalk. Kirchner was part of the German Expressionist group Die Brücke, or The Bridge, whose members sought to bridge the gap between traditional and modern art. Made in Germany, the drawing reflects the group's interest in the raw energy of urban life. We see the influence of non-western art, visible in the simplified forms and flattened perspective, which adds to the drawing's immediacy and emotional impact. Kirchner’s decision to depict nudes can be linked to Die Brücke’s desire to challenge the conservative values of Wilhelmine society. By portraying the human form in a naturalistic and unidealized manner, Kirchner and his fellow artists sought to break free from academic conventions and express a more authentic vision of human experience. To understand Kirchner's work more fully, we might consult his diaries and letters, as well as exhibition catalogs and critical reviews from the period. These primary sources shed light on the cultural and intellectual context in which the drawing was created.