The Painter. Self-portrait

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Self-portrait titled "The Painter" exemplifies his role as a pioneering Expressionist artist. The painting reveals Kirchner’s intense emotional depth and innovative use of bold colors and distorted forms characteristic of the movement he co-founded with Die Brücke. Created during a turbulent period in his life, after his war service and mental breakdown, the work captures the raw, subjective perspective central to Expressionism. Despite facing persecution under the Nazi regime, which branded his work as "degenerate," Kirchner’s self-portrait remains a powerful testament to his artistic vision and psychological introspection.