Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, “Deutsch: Nollendorfplatz”, 1912, Oil on Canvas, Museum of Modern Art, New York
“Deutsch: Nollendorfplatz” reveals Kirchner’s shift in subject matter from the female nude to depictions of the metropolis. Here, the perspective is skewed, a clear rejection of his previous study of architecture. The quick, gestural use of line creates a sense of immediacy and speed within the piece, capturing the essence of a busy German city. The use of clashing blues and yellows to depict the cityscape is typical of Kirchner’s style during the Die Brucke years, though the distorted imagery of the city may also have been inspired by an exhibition of Italian Futurist art that he saw in the year that this was painted.