Two Women

Description

Kirchner was one of the co-founders in Dresden in 1905 of die Brücke (the Bridge), a movement which gave rise to German Expressionism. Both movements feature experimentation in color, line, and form, as well as psychological exploration. Die Brücke dissolved in 1913 after many of the group's artists moved to Berlin.
The figures in this work might be Gerda Schilling and her sister Erna (who became the artist's lifelong companion), dancers in Berlin who frequently posed for Kirchner. In this work, Kirchner simplifies the figures' features to create strong geometrical forms that lend monumentality to the depiction. With an economy of line, Kirchner is able to communicate a first and fleeting impression. Nonetheless, the work has a sense of permanence given his vigorous and direct use of the crayon medium.
Sean M. Ulmer, University Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, for "A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in Twentieth-Century Art," November 10, 2001 - January 27, 2002