The large-format oil painting "Dance in a Variety" by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is currently on display at the Kunstmuseum Basel in the exhibition "Paarlauf." The painting, which depicts a "Cakewalk" dance, was acquired by the Stiftung im Obersteg for approximately seven million euros in June of the previous year and underwent extensive restoration.
The painting, which was in private ownership for decades, features a black dancer in the foreground facing four white female dancers. The "Cakewalk" dance originated in the United States and was inspired by slaves who mocked the stiff movements of their masters. The dance style quickly spread to Europe, including the Dresden variety shows, where Kirchner discovered it and created numerous preliminary sketches.
The artwork, dated 1911, has a fascinating history, especially considering that Kirchner's works were considered "degenerate art" during the Nazi era. The painting, last shown in an exhibition in Berlin in 1923, was thought to be lost. It was damaged in 1945 by French soldiers. The painting is on display until July 27, at the end of the "Paarlauf" exhibition.