Portrait of a Woman (Erna Schilling)
Circa 1914-1915
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner captured his muse and lifelong partner, Erna Schilling, with jagged, nervous lines that practically vibrate off the page. As a founder of the 'Die Brücke' (The Bridge) movement, Kirchner rejected pretty realism for raw, emotional truth. Erna, a former cabaret dancer, is depicted here with a heavy, dark bob and a downward gaze that feels incredibly intimate. Created around 1914-1915, right as World War I was erupting and Kirchner's own mental health was beginning to fracture, the sharp, angular shadows on her face reflect the intense anxiety of the era.
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