Das leere Café (The Empty Café) 1918

Walter Gramatté made "The Empty Café" with colored crayon and ink, and what strikes me first is the apparent frenzy of mark making. It’s like he's wrestling with the feeling of this place, rather than just describing it. The colors are a bit off-kilter, like faded memories, with these bursts of red that feel almost panicked against the yellows and greens. The whole scene is built up through thin layers of crayon, allowing the paper to breathe, which keeps the claustrophobia at bay. Look at those frantic scribbles around the edges, they almost seem to vibrate, don't they? It's as if the café's emptiness is buzzing with a strange sort of energy. This reminds me a little of Kirchner, with that same raw, emotional intensity. But Gramatté feels more personal, like a diary entry. It embraces the mess, which I think is so beautiful, and it's a great reminder that art isn't always about perfect clarity, sometimes, it’s about exploring the beautiful, confusing mess of being alive.