1918
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Scene in the Cafe with the Cripple is a 1918 ink by Walter Gramatté, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a lively café scene in black and white. A woman stands in the center, smiling and gesturing with her hands, while a crowd of people—some seated, some standing—fills the background. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to capture movement and faces, leaving parts of the paper rough and textured. The woman’s confident pose stands out against the busy chaos around her. The drawing feels urgent, like it was made fast, with loose strokes that still catch the energy of the moment. Next, look up technique: drypoint to see how artists like Gramatté made prints with sharp, detailed lines.
Walter Gramatté (8 January 1897 in Berlin – 9 February 1929 in Hamburg) was a German expressionist painter who specialized in magic realism.
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