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Dancers and Performers (Page from a Sketchbook)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1911

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern Abstract

Dominant colour

Dancers and Performers (Page from a Sketchbook) is a 1911 graphite by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
When & what style?: 1911
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

A sheet of paper shows sharp, tangled lines. They twist and overlap like dancers mid-move. Most lines are graphite gray, but some leave a faint smudge where Kirchner’s hand pressed hard. He drew this in his studio, one page from many quick studies. The marks feel alive—some curves soften as if he erased then redrew them. You can almost hear the music he worked by. See how he builds motion without color. Try Kirchner, Ernst Ludwig next.