“Artist Begging for Applause,” created by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1909, is a genre painting associated with the Expressionism art movement. The artwork measures 38.5 x 32.8 cm. It portrays a human figure, rendered in a bold, emotive manner typical of Expressionist art, which sought to evoke emotional experience rather than physical reality.
The artwork showcases a central female figure donning red attire, standing or perhaps leaning amidst a background imbued with abstract elements of blue and orange hues. The figure is delineated with decisive, black outlines, and her posture exudes a sense of urgency or desperation, fitting to the title’s implication of an artist earnestly seeking approval or applause. The use of stark contrasts and vibrant colors exemplifies Kirchner’s Expressionist style, emphasizing emotional intensity and psychological depth. The visual elements are rendered in a somewhat unfinished or sketch-like quality, underlining the raw and unrefined depiction of human emotion and existential struggle.
