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Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1880 – 1938

The Judgement of Paris

Experience Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s "The Judgement of Paris." A powerful German Expressionist masterpiece featuring bold colors & intense emotion. Explore this iconic artwork today!

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Fränzi vor geschnitztem Stuhl

1910 · Städelsche Kunstinstitut Und Städtische Galerie, Frankfurt

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Leaping Dancer, Gret Palucca

Museum Folkwang, Essen

Experience the dynamism of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 'Leaping Dancer,' inspired by Gret Palucca’s expressive movements and reflecting Bauhaus aesthetics—a bold exploration of urban life and emotion.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

The Red Tower at Halle

1914 · Museum Folkwang, Essen · original 92 x 120 cm

Experience Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s ‘The Red Tower at Halle’! A vibrant Expressionist masterpiece showcasing urban energy & historical significance. High-quality reproduction available.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$47192 × 120 cm Commission at original size

Self Portrait with Cat

1919 · Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge · original 120 x 85 cm

Experience the emotive intensity of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s ‘Self Portrait with Cat,’ a vibrant Expressionist masterpiece capturing profound solitude and resilience amidst bold colors and textured brushstrokes—a timeless piece to enrich your art collection.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17726 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$44785 × 120 cm Commission at original size

Self-portrait with Model

Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg

Explore Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's iconic Self-portrait with Model – a vibrant Expressionist masterpiece capturing intimacy and emotion within his studio setting. Discover more at Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17726 × 39 cm Commission this artwork

Selbstbildnis als Kranker

1917 · Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst, Munich · original 57 x 66 cm

Kirchner's 'Self-Portrait as a Sick Man' (1917) is a raw Expressionist depiction of illness and despair, showcasing his emotional turmoil during WWI.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17734 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$25966 × 57 cm Commission at original size

Rhätische Bahn, Davos

1917 · original 94 x 94 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17731 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$40794 × 94 cm Commission at original size

Street, Dresden

1908 · MOMA - Museum of Modern Art, New York City · original 150 x 200 cm

Experience Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's "Street, Dresden" (1908). A vibrant depiction of urban life, capturing the energy and alienation of early 20th-century cityscapes through bold colors & expressive brushstrokes. Hand-painted reproduction available.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$1020200 × 150 cm Commission at original size

Der Tanz zwischen den Frauen

1915 · Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst, Munich · original 120 x 60 cm

Experience the raw emotional intensity of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 1915 German Expressionist masterpiece Der Tanz zwischen den Frauen, featuring vibrant figures in a rhythmic dance that invites you to explore its beauty.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$36060 × 120 cm Commission at original size

The Drinker (self-portrait)

1914 · Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg · original 119 x 89 cm

Explore Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s "The Drinker" – a raw Expressionist self-portrait of 1914. Discover its haunting beauty, symbolic depth & historical significance. A unique art investment.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$45889 × 119 cm Commission at original size

Dr. Alfred Döblin

1912 · Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge

“Dr. Alfred Döblin” by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner captures Berlin’s anxieties through bold colors and fractured forms, reflecting Expressionist ideals and the artist's engagement with African art.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Circus (also known as Circus Rider)

1913 · Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen, Munich

Experience the vibrant energy of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 'Circus Rider'! This iconic Expressionist painting captures a lively circus scene with bold colors and distorted forms, reflecting emotional intensity and German modernism.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Portrat Gewecke

1914 · Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond

Explore Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s ‘Portrat Gewecke,’ a powerful Expressionist portrait brimming with bold colors & gestural brushwork. Discover this 1914 masterpiece!

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Bathers at Moritzburg

1909 · Tate Modern, London

Experience Kirchner's 'Bathers at Moritzburg,' an iconic Expressionist masterpiece! Bold colors & distorted forms capture the energy of leisure and human connection.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$35236 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Villaggio con viottoli blu

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17730 × 34 cm Commission this artwork

Die tanzende Mary Wigman

Museum Folkwang, Essen

Experience Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 'Die tanzende Mary Wigman,' a dynamic woodcut capturing the dancer’s energy and Expressionist style. Explore urban anxiety & modern identity through this iconic work.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Herrenbildnis, Hans Frisch

1907 · original 115 x 115 cm

Explore Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s "Herrenbildnis" – a powerful Expressionist painting of 1907. Bold colors & distorted forms evoke intense emotion. See this masterpiece at the McNay Art Museum!

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17731 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$535115 × 115 cm Commission at original size

Dr. Bl. in Red Chair

1915 · Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen, Munich

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17734 × 30 cm Commission this artwork

Toilette, Frau vor Spiegel

1913 · Centre Pompidou, Paris · original 101 x 75 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$37075 × 101 cm Commission at original size

Marzella

1909 · Moderna Museum, Stockholm

Explore Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's iconic painting 'Marzella,' a masterpiece of Expressionism housed at Stockholm’s Moderna Museum. Discover its bold colors, emotional depth, and portrayal of a woman embodying the anxieties of early 20th-century Germany.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Straße

1908 · MOMA - Museum of Modern Art, New York City

Kirchner's 'Straße' captures bustling city life with bold Expressionist strokes and vibrant colors. Explore the urban energy of early 20th-century Berlin at MoMA.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$27736 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Two Women with a Washbasin

1913 · Städelsche Kunstinstitut Und Städtische Galerie, Frankfurt

Experience the raw emotional intensity of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 1913 German Expressionist masterpiece Two Women with a Washbasin, featuring bold distortions and muted tones that invite you to explore his profound vision.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Bridge in Wiesen

1926 · Kirchner Museum Davos, Davos · original 120 x 120 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17732 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$569120 × 120 cm Commission at original size

Two Women on the Street

1914 · Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Duesseldorf

Experience the raw emotional tension of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 1914 Expressionist masterpiece Two Women on the Street, featuring jarring colors and urban anxiety, available to bring a touch of Berlin history to your home.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 25 of 929 artworks by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1880 – 1938

Quick facts

Creative periodsmature period
Art periodModern
Vibedramatic
Typical colorsneutrals, dark, earthy
Works on APS929
Corpus themesdürer, dürer inspiration, expressionist style, anxiety, social critique
NationalityGermany
Room fitliving room

Biography

Early Life, Family and Artistic Training

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born on 6 May 1880 in Aschaffenburg, Germany. His early years were marked by the frequent movements of his family, dictated by the career of his father, Ernst Kirchner, a chemical technician in the paper industry. This transient existence saw the family living in Frankfurt/Main from 1886, following a period spent in Perlen near Lucerne, Switzerland, between 1887 and 1889. As a child, he was a keen observer of his surroundings, often watching the activity of the local train station from his bedroom window.

The path toward his professional life was not a direct one. While his parents initially hoped for a more socially conventional career for their son, Kirchner’s interests leaned toward the visual. After obtaining his school-leaving certificate in 1901, he enrolled at the university in Dresden to study architecture. This academic pursuit provided a foundation of technical discipline, yet his true inclinations lay elsewhere. He spent much of his time in artistic courses, focusing on the fundamentals of freehand, life drawing, and composition. These studies provided the essential training that would eventually allow him to move beyond academic tradition.

The Founding of Die Brücke

In 1905, Kirchner sought a departure from the rigid constraints of academic tradition. He joined forces with Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff to form the artists' collective known as Die Brücke. This group functioned as a bridge between the classical past and a new, visceral way of seeing. They gathered in Dresden, driven by a shared desire to express the raw realities of modern existence through a radical simplification of form and the use of unmixed, glowing colors. The studio became a space for intense experimentation, where the boundaries of social and artistic convention were constantly tested.

The collective's energy was intense but ultimately fleeting. By 27 May 1913, the group disbanded, marking the end of their formal collaboration. Even as these original bonds dissolved, Kirchner's commitment to establishing new artistic spaces continued. In Berlin, he co-founded the MUIM Institute alongside Max Pechstein, further cementing his position within the shifting landscape of German modernism. His life remained a series of attempts to find authenticity in an increasingly fragmented society.

Technique and Artistic Style

Kirchner’s visual language was defined by a restless, jagged energy. He moved away from the polished finish of academic tradition, opting instead for bold brushstrokes that remained visible on the surface. His approach to color was rarely concerned with the natural world; instead, he employed non-naturalistic hues to provoke an immediate emotional response. These jarring color palettes often clashed, creating a sense of tension that mirrored the psychological weight of his subjects. In his woodcuts, this intensity was further distilled through a physical, aggressive process. He carved into the woodblocks with dynamic black lines, leaving the marks of his labor to create a stark, rhythmic contrast between light and shadow.

The spatial logic of his compositions often felt unsettled. He utilized a fractured perspective that rejected the stability of traditional depth, opting for a skewed view that suggested movement and disorientation. This distortion extended to the human form itself; figures and objects were frequently elongated or shaped in ways that prioritized subjective feeling over anatomical accuracy. This stylistic choice allowed him to capture the frantic, often anonymous pulse of modern life. Whether depicting the quietude of a landscape or the chaos of a city street, his work remained anchored in this tension between the seen world and the internal experience.

Key Works and Notable Paintings

His early explorations often sought to capture the tension between the natural world and the encroaching modern era. In 1907, he produced Landscape with houses and man, a work that moved beyond simple rural depiction to embody the anxieties of a changing Germany. This piece utilized a fractured perspective and a jarring palette to create an unsettling vista. Such experiments in distortion and color became hallmarks of his approach to the subject matter of his surroundings.

As the urban landscape began to dominate his vision, his work took on a more frenetic, psychological quality. His 1913 oil painting, Street, Berlin, captures the chaos of city life through a busy scene where two women occupy the central foreground. The figures are rendered with a sense of identity that contrasts against the undifferentiated mass of men in the background. This period of intense observation continued into his later years, even as his personal circumstances shifted. In 1919, he painted Self Portrait with Cat, a work characterized by thick impasto brushstrokes and a striking palette of red, yellow, and blue. This piece, along with his 1919 oil painting Der Maler, Selbstporträt, reveals a man confronting his own vulnerability through a piercing, intense gaze.

His later output continued to reflect a restless energy, even when the subject matter turned toward the landscape. Die Amselfuh, dated 1923, utilized bold brushstrokes and vibrant colors to depict a scene of exploration and adventure. His ability to translate internal turmoil into external form remained a constant throughout his career.

Later Years and Personal Struggles

The turbulence of the early 20th century eventually breached the sanctuary of Kirchner’s studio. During the First World War, he volunteered for army service, but the experience proved deeply fracturing. He suffered a severe mental breakdown and was subsequently discharged from service. This period of instability marked a shift in his internal landscape, as the psychological weight of the era began to manifest in his personal well-being.

The political climate in Germany grew increasingly hostile toward his aesthetic. In 1937, the Nazi regime branded his work as "degenerate." This designation led to a systematic campaign against his output; more than 600 of his works were either sold or destroyed by the state. The erasure of his artistic presence was both a professional and personal catastrophe. Seeking refuge from this persecution, he moved to Davos, Switzerland. However, the pressures of exile and declining health proved insurmountable. On 15 June 1938, Kirchner took his own life in Davos.

Legacy and Artistic Influence

Kirchner remains a central figure of the German Expressionist movement, a presence that helped define the visual language of a transformative era. His reach extended far beyond the borders of Europe; his work provided one of the first presentations of the European avant-garde to an American audience, introducing a new, jagged sensibility to the continent. This exposure helped shift the trajectory of modern art, moving it away from academic tradition and toward a more subjective, psychological reality.

The influence of his approach persists in the way contemporary art practices navigate the complexities of the human psyche. By prioritizing emotional truth over literal representation, he opened doors for subsequent generations to use color and form as tools for internal exploration. His ability to translate the tension of modern existence into a visual medium ensured that his impact would be felt long after the era of the Die Brücke had passed.

Street, Berlin
Self Portrait with Cat
The Red Tower at Halle

Where to See His Works Today

The physical presence of Kirchner’s vision is scattered across several major institutions, reflecting the international reach of his influence. In Germany, the Brücke-Museum in Berlin maintains a significant collection of his work, preserving the spirit of the collective he helped found. The Museum Folkwang in Essen also holds several of his paintings, including works like Leipziger Straße with Electric Tram and Lighthouse on Fehmarn. These pieces offer a direct encounter with the fractured perspectives and intense color palettes that defined his career.

His reach extends into the collections of Munich, where the Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst houses his paintings. For those traveling across the Atlantic, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles holds works such as Hoffmann and Wife. These various repositories ensure that his exploration of urban tension and the human form remains accessible to a global audience. To see his work in person is to witness the restless energy of the early twentieth century through his specific, unyielding lens.

Street Scene (Brücke Museum, Berlin)
The Red Tower at Halle (Museum Folkwang, Essen)
Die Zirkusreiterin (Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst, Munich)
Hoffmann and Wife (Hammer Museum, Los Angeles)

Questions & Answers

What are the birth city and country of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner?

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born in Aschaffenburg, in Germany.

Can I sort Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's artworks by color?

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's works can be explored by color on the artist's Spectral Index page.

Is there a timeline of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's works?

The artist's Artwork Timeline page presents Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's works ordered by date, year by year.

By the WikiOO.org Editorial Team Updated Oct. 14, 2026

Collector's quiz

In which city was Ernst Ludwig Kirchner born?
Which artistic collective did Kirchner co-found in 1905?
What was Kirchner's initial field of study at the Königliche Technische Hochschule in Dresden?
Which artist's work inspired Kirchner during a school trip to Nuremberg in 1898?
Where did Kirchner take his own life in 1938?

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