The artwork titled “Girl with Long Hair,” created by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1909, is an exemplary piece within the expressionist movement. Crafted using ink on paper, this portrait measures 44.5 x 34.6 cm and embodies the distinctive style and emotive strength characteristic of expressionism.
In this portrait, the artist employs bold, simplified lines to capture the essence and form of the girl with long hair. The minimalist approach, characterized by strong black ink strokes against the muted backdrop of the paper, invokes an emotional intensity and rawness. Kirchner’s technique emphasizes the fluidity and movement of the subject’s hair, which cascades gracefully, contrasting with the serene, contemplative posture of the figure. The simplicity of the lines and the sparse use of detail draw the viewer’s attention to the expressive qualities of the figure’s face and pose, reflecting the core tenets of expressionist art.