“Winter Landscape in Moonlight” is an oil painting created by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1919. This expressionist work belongs to the landscape genre and features a vivid portrayal of a mountainous winter scene illuminated by moonlight. The painting is part of the collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
In the artwork, Kirchner uses bold colors and dynamic brushstrokes, typical of the Expressionist movement. The scene is dominated by stark, angular shapes and a contrast of warm reds and pinks against the cooler blues and whites. We can observe pinkish, almost neon trees that bend and weave through the composition, adding to the sense of a distorted, dreamlike landscape. A moon hangs in a sky streaked with orange and yellow tones, casting its glow on the snowy mountain terrains below. Small figures and a cabin are nestled into the landscape, dwarfed by the vastness of the natural surroundings. This painting conveys the emotional experience of the landscape, rather than a realistic portrayal, seeking to engage the viewer on a visceral level.