The Chosen Artwork
Since I am currently residing in Germany and like to discover the culture of this country, for this assignment, I decided to choose and analyze the painting called “Berlin Street Scene” by the German expressionist artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (“Berlin Street Scene,” n.d.). This painting was produced in 1913, which is the period of time when the painter created his most significant works and was considered to be one of the most influential people within the expressionist movement in Germany (“Berlin Street Scene,” n.d.). The painting is created by the oil on canvas technique and is very colorful and dynamic. Today, this art piece is available for everyone in the Neue Galerie New York.
The Description of the Artwork
In the foreground of the painting, the viewers can see two men – one facing the audience and the other one facing the street. In addition, there are also two prostitutes wearing colorful clothes with stylish, high-fashion hats. At the same time, the background of the painting depicts the busy street of Berlin with many people going in different ways. One thing that is extremely noticeable in the painting is the number 15 depicted in a white circle. This is probably an indication of a tram line, suggesting a specific location of the represented situation. In general, the whole painting is a collection of bright colors and figures that are effectively combined together to produce a positive impression.
Why the Artwork Was Chosen
While choosing the work of art that I wanted to analyze, the “Berlin Street Scene” was one of the first ones that I saw and remembered. After looking at other art pieces, I still decided to come back to that one. This is primarily because I was impressed by the somewhat aggressive use of abstract colors and, at the same time, the very detailed depiction of the characters and their emotions. In addition, it seemed to me that this painting is very original and looks totally distinct from other paintings. While comparing it to other, I liked that it was bold, bright, noticeable, and extremely intriguing. The more I watched it, the more details I noticed.
The Analysis of the Artwork
Even though this painting is very interesting from the aesthetic point of view, it is essential to immerse a little bit deeper into it and understand its meaning and main idea. Thus, the author created this painting with a specific purpose in mind. After looking at this art piece for the first time, it is unlikely that an individual will understand that there is a meaning behind it. However, after researching other works of the painter from this period, the meaning becomes much broader and clearer. For example, it can be mentioned that Kirchner depicted portraits, not for the purpose of showing his skills in precision but to deliver certain energy and emotion. The painter presented prostitutes and men in order to reveal their relationships and emotions towards each other. Despite the fact that, at that time, the works of this artist were critiqued, he still wanted to portray the new independent type of women in German society.
References
Berlin Street Scene. (n.d.).