Czardas Dancers

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner belonged to the artistic group that called themselves "Die Brücke" which in German means "The Bridge". The group reacted against narrative realism and Impressionism by seeking to achieve a new and emotionally expressive form of art. Fears about humanity's place in the modern world, its lost feelings of spirituality and authenticity were the main anxiety of Brücke. Kirchner was fascinated by the primitive art, and here this fascination is clearly visible. He also believed that dancing put people in touch with their basic urges and dancing figures became a recurring theme in his work. Czardas, originally Csárdás is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, which name is derived from csárda (old Hungarian term for tavern). The picture represents a scene of modern, urban life and is constructed of large colour planes which both contrast and merge together. 

In 1933, Kirchner's work was branded as "degenerate" by the Nazis and in 1937, over 600 (!!) of his works were sold or destroyed. In 1938, he committed suicide by gunshot.