For Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, painting is an act of translation. The "ecstatic" dynamism of the metropolis is reflected in Kirchner's works, such as "Potsdamer Platz," in a sketchy painting style, but above all in a strong formal condensation. The round traffic island at Potsdamer Platz, where the slender ladies pose, as well as the figures rendered in rough strokes, represent the schematics of the big city – they are merely signals, signs. In connection with his cityscapes, Kirchner spoke of "hieroglyphs as expressive signs." The "immediate ecstasy," Kirchner writes, already transforms into "finished hieroglyphs" during the drawing process. The diversity of visual experience is reduced to abbreviations, to telling details like hats, shoe tips, window frames, and bridge arches. Thus, Kirchner's painterly world primarily consists of a world of openness.