Head Study (Kopfstudie)
Medium
lithograph on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 32.9 x 27.3 cm (12 15/16 x 10 3/4 in.) sheet: 40.8 x 33.5 cm (16 1/16 x 13 3/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.743
Art Historical Context
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's *Head Study (Kopfie)*, created in 1924, the raw emotional intensity of German Expressionism. As a founding member of the Die Br group, Kirchner pioneered a style that rejected naturalistic representation in favor of bold colors, distorted forms, and depth, often reflecting the turmoil of modern life. This lithograph on wove paper captures a-up portrait study, with its image measuring 32.9 x 27.3 cm, the artist's mastery in conveying inner states through angular lines and stark contrasts. Lithography, Kirchner's chosen medium here, allowed for direct, spontaneous mark-m...
About the Artist
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1880–1938
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born on May 6, 1880, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, to parents Ernst and Maria Kirchner, part of a family of Prussian descent that frequently relocated due to his father's career as a chemical technician. After early schooling in various towns, he studied architecture at the Königliche Technische Hochschule (Technical University) in Dresden from 1901 to 1905, taking courses i...