Ernst Ludwig Kirchner — Gallery of Selected Works from 1906 to 1938

Kirchner was one of the most vivid representatives of German Expressionism. His works, filled with anxious tension and inner strength, became a mirror to the turbulent early 20th century. He wasn’t just a painter — he was a chronicler of emotions, souls, and urban nightmares.

Passionate about art from an early age, Kirchner was one of the founders of the artists' group “Die Brücke”, which aimed to free painting from academic conventions and return it to its primal force of color and form. He searched for a new language — expressive, nervous, bold — to capture modernity in all its drama and poetry.

His paintings feature sharp silhouettes of Berlin streets, the dynamism of city dance, tense figures indoors, and landscapes full of wild charm. Kirchner experimented with color and line, balancing between delicate elegance and raw expression.

After World War I, in which he served and suffered deep psychological trauma, his style turned darker and more personal. He moved to Switzerland, where he continued working while remaining faithful to his inner freedom. Despite persecution under the Nazi regime, Kirchner remained a true artist of the modern age until the end.

We have selected over 70 paintings created by Kirchner between 1906 and 1938 for publication for several reasons:

• This period covers both his formative years and mature development, showing the full range of his artistic evolution.
• The works reflect key themes of the time: urbanization, loneliness, inner conflict, and nature as refuge.
• These paintings hold high aesthetic and investment value — this is art that continues to inspire and surprise.

This gallery presents the most significant works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner — from early expressionist experiments to mature pieces painted in Switzerland. The artworks are arranged chronologically to show the evolution of his style and emotional depth. Each canvas is a testament to the artist’s personal drama and unyielding will to express himself. We aimed to collect high-quality reproductions that preserve the spirit of the originals.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Doris mit Pelzkragen

1906, 71 × 52 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Mädchen auf dem Diwan

1906, 49 × 68 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Sitzende Dame (Dodo)

1907, 112 × 114 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Blühende Bäume

1909, 41 × 51 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Dresden, Friedrichstadt

1909

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Akt eines russischen Mädchens (Dodo)

1909, 75 × 67 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Im See badende Mädchen

1909, 91 × 120 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Marzella

1909, 75 × 60 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Liegende Frau

1909, 95 × 121 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Russische Tänzerin

1909

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Waldweg

1910, 80 × 70 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Eisenbahnüberführung in Dresden

1910, 70 × 90 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Franziska vor einem Stuhl

1910, 71 × 49 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Maler und Modell

1910, 150 × 100 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Nackte Mädchen unterhalten sich

1910, 75 × 100 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Liegender Akt vor dem Spiegel

1910, 95 × 83 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Boskettplatz in Dresden

1911, 120 × 151 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Halbakt mit Hut

1911, 76 × 70 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Lüngernende Mädchen

1911, 89 × 120 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Badender Akt

1911, 76 × 70 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Akt mit erhobenen Armen

1911, 93 × 94 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Grundé – Dame im Gartencafé

1912, 89 × 66 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Kühe am Abend

1912, 70 × 80 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Bahnhofseinfahrt Lobtau

1912, 91 × 121 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Nollendorfplatz

1912, 69 × 60 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Akte im Atelier

1912, 80 × 70 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Nudo femminile

1912, 125 × 90 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Segelboote im Sturm

1912, 90 × 120 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Teekanne, Flasche und rote Blumen

1912, 81 × 70 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Akte im Strandwald

1913, 124 × 90 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Bäume über Sandweg

1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Elisabethufer

1913, 83 × 94 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Zirkusreiterin

1913, 120 × 100 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Dünen und Meer

1913, 90 × 120 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Berliner Straßenszene

1913, 121 × 95 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Erna am Meer (Fehmarn)

1913, 78 × 68 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Gut Staberhof

1913, 81 × 90 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Haus unter Bäumen

1913, 90 × 121 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Mädchen auf Fehmarn

1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Landschaft mit Kastanienbaum

1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Porträt der Erna Schilling

1913, 71 × 60 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Staberhof – Hof auf Fehmarn

1913, 121 × 151 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Straßenszene

1913, 70 × 51 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Die Schwestern

1913, 121 × 90 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Die Straße

1913, 121 × 95 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Windmühle auf Fehmarn

1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Fehmarn – Landschaft

1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Gerda, Ganzkörperporträt

1914, 99 × 75 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Place Belle Alliance, Berlin

1914, 96 × 85 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Blick aus dem Fenster

1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Zwei nackte Frauen im Zimmer

1914, 120 × 93 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Weg zwischen den Bäumen

1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Erna mit Zigarette

1915, 70 × 58 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Frauen auf der Straße

1915, 126 × 90 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Galgenberg in Jena

1917, 69 × 65 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Rosa Rosen

1918, 80 × 71 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Stafelalp mit Amselfluch

1918

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Sandhügel in der Engadina

1918, 85 × 95 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Sonnenblume

1918, 90 × 100 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Blumentopf und Zuckerdose

1919, 70 × 60 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Waldboden mit rosa Vordergrund

1920, 121 × 91 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Czardas-Tänzerinnen

1920, 150 × 200 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Tangothee

1921

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Sonntag in den Alpen

1922

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Die Klosterser Berge

1923, 120 × 120 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Davos im Winter

1923

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Zwei Mädchen spielen mit Katzen

1924, 50 × 50 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - In der Sertig-Schlucht

1925, 120 × 100 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Berglandschaft von Clavadel

1926, 135 × 200 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Sertigweg

1926

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Fehmarnküste mit Leuchtturm

1938

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Stillleben mit chinesischem Porzellan

1938, 70 × 60 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was among the first to realize that the world could be painted in different colors without destroying it, by creating a new harmony — one that feels as if it had always existed. His painting does not strive for naturalism, yet it never breaks away from reality: color replaces explanation, and the distortion of form becomes a way to preserve the integrity of the image. Kirchner does not argue — he shows how the familiar can sound different.

Anatoli Gostev was inspired by Kirchner’s painting, his color palette, and its simplicity. In the work “Red Road”, Gostev reflected on his own experience of distorting the palette in favor of the emotion of hope. This is what he once said:

The pursuit of intensity in itself forces one to neglect reality, isolating and amplifying what is essential — yet this is precisely the pursuit of painting imbued with balance and purity.

— Anatoli Gostev (1946–2022)

Assessing Kirchner’s work, we select four masterpieces according to our own criteria, taste, and sense of Ludwig’s painting. One of the dynasty’s statements reads:

Painting is jazz. Jazz is extraordinarily beautiful because it allows a simple melody to be freely shaped into something new, thus conveying the entire spectrum of human feelings — just like a painting.

Kirchner’s interpretations of multicolored faces and merely suggested compositions are like harmonious jazz études: comfortable and brilliant.

We choose works in which interpretation and harmony outweigh the expression of Kirchner’s other works for one simple reason — they are comfortable to live with. Just like good jazz:

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Künstlerin

1910, 101 × 76 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Das blaue Mädchen

1910, 71 × 81 cm

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Tänzerinnen in Rot

1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Sitzendes Mädchen (Franzi)

1915, 80 × 90 cm