The corner of Kurfürstendamm and Uhlandstraße

Between 1913 and 1915, seized by a “tormenting restlessness”, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was driven day and night “into the endless streets [of Berlin] full of people and streetcars.” With his sketchbook always at hand, he captured the bustling city life, crowds and urban surroundings with swift pencil strokes. He was also constantly drawn to Kurfürstendamm, as evidenced by the two sketches showing the house corner at the junction of the avenue and Uhlandstraße.

The sumptuous boulevard lined with imperial-era townhouses had become a prestigious location following the opening of a railway link between Zoologischer Garten and Halensee. Shops were rubbing shoulders with entertainment venues. Artists were also drawn to the “New West”. It was here that the Berlin Secession artists’ association had its exhibition space among other galleries and where the artistic avant-garde congregated at the “Café des Westens” and the “Romanisches Café”.

Valentina Bay