The artwork “Café in Davos,” created by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1928, is an oil painting on canvas with dimensions of 72 by 92 centimeters. This genre painting is a notable example of the Expressionism movement.
The artwork depicts an interior scene of a café in Davos, characterized by Kirchner’s distinctive use of bold, angular shapes and vibrant colors. The figures in the painting are rendered in an abstract manner, with simplified and exaggerated forms that convey a sense of dynamism and emotion. The composition is crowded with various patrons, each engrossed in their activities, whether reading a newspaper, drinking coffee, or engaged in conversation. The background reveals shelves lined with bottles and a window that suggests the café’s bustling environment. The use of contrasting colors and expressive brushwork enhances the overall lively and somewhat chaotic atmosphere of the scene. The greenish and bluish tones of the figures’ skin add an otherworldly, almost ethereal quality to the painting, while the sharp lines and contrasting hues exemplify the intense emotionality inherent in Expressionist art.