Head of a Woman (Frauenkopf)

Art Historical Context

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff *Head of a Woman (uenkopf)*, in 1915, the raw emotional intensity of German Expressionism. As a founding member of the Die Brücke group, Schmidt-Rottluff rejected academic traditions in favor of bold, distorted forms and vivid contrasts to convey inner turmoil and spiritual depth. This woodcut emerged during World War I, time of profound upheaval in Europe, reflecting the era's angst through its stark, angular portrayal of the female subject. The woodcut medium exemplifies Expressionist innovation: carved directly into wood blocks, it produces jagged, incisive lines that...

About the Artist

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884–1976) was a German painter and printmaker who was a co-founder of Die Brücke (The Bridge), one of the most important groups of the Expressionist movement. Born Karl Schmidt in Rottluff near Chemnitz, he adopted his birthplace as a surname and in 1905, together with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Fritz Bleyl, and Erich Heckel, founded Die Brücke in Dresden, a group dedicated to ...