Kopf Erna mit kurzem Haar 1912

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this portrait, Erna with Short Hair, in what looks like charcoal or ink. The marks are blunt, almost aggressive, like he’s carving her image out of the paper rather than drawing it. I love how the texture of the strokes varies. Some are solid and dense, like in her dark, cropped hair, while others are light and scratchy, barely there, defining her neck. This variation gives the portrait a raw, immediate feel. It’s as if Kirchner is wrestling with the image, trying to capture something essential about Erna. Notice how her eyes are shadowed and slightly asymmetrical. There's something kind of vulnerable about that, like she's seen too much or is lost in thought. Kirchner’s work always reminds me of Munch, that same sense of unease and emotional intensity. They both use the medium to express something beyond the surface, a kind of psychic landscape. The portrait isn't just about likeness; it's about feeling. It's a reminder that art is as much about what we bring to it as what the artist puts in.