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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

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

This sketchbook page shows dancers and performers caught in quick, scratchy lines. They look like they’re mid-motion, with arms and legs tangled together. Kirchner drew this on the spot, probably watching a show. The paper’s rough, so the graphite scuffs a little. That adds to the raw, live feel of the scene. Look up Kirchner, Ernst Ludwig to see more of his fast, nervous lines.