Dancers and Performers (Page from a Sketchbook)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1911

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern Abstract

About this work

This sketch shows dancers mid-move—legs bent, arms flung wide. Lines twist and overlap like scribbles caught in motion. Kirchner filled sketchbooks fast, drawing on the spot to catch raw energy before it fades. He later used these quick lines to paint bold figures on canvas. The paper shows his hand: press hard here, lighter there, no erasing. Next time you’re at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, look for Kirchner’s sketchbooks—they’re tucked in a quiet corner.