Street II

Art Historical Context

**Street II** *Ludwig Meidner, 1913* Drypoint on wove cream paper *National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen* Visitors to the National Gallery of Art will encounter Ludwig Meidner's *Street II* (1913), a dynamic drypoint print that pulses with the raw energy of early 20th-century urban life. Measuring a compact plate size of 14.9 × 13.9 cm on a larger sheet of 33.6 × 25.2 cm, this intimate work belongs to Meidner's seminal "Apocalyptic Landscapes" series, created just before World War I erupted. As a German Expressionist associated with the Der Sturm circle, Meidner channeled the era's anxieties into jagged, distorted cityscapes. *Street II* likely evokes Berlin's chaotic streets through angular forms and frenetic lines, foreshadowing the war's upheaval and modernist alienation. The drypoint medium—scratched directly into a metal plate—produces a velvety burr of ink, lending spontaneous, tactile depth that amplifies emotional intensity far beyond traditional etching. This gifted print (Department CG-W) offers a window into prewar Expressionism's prophetic vision, inviting you to trace Meidner's urgent strokes and ponder the city's hidden turmoil. A testament to printmaking's expressive power, it remains a poignant highlight for print enthusiasts.