Heimkehrende Ziegenherde 1920

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this oil painting, Heimkehrende Ziegenherde, with bright colours and bold brushstrokes. It feels like a celebration of mountain life. Just look at that shepherd in the foreground, posed like a dancer. He’s leading a lively bunch of goats down the hillside. The paint is applied so freely. You can almost feel Kirchner wrestling with the scene, trying to capture the energy and movement of the animals. I can imagine him, working quickly, trying to keep up with his subject. Kirchner was part of Die Brücke, a group of German Expressionist artists who wanted to break free from tradition. You can see that spirit here in the flattened space and the almost fauvist colour. The painting invites us to embrace the unexpected, to find joy in the process of seeing and feeling. Like all paintings, it encourages us to pause and consider.