Portrait of Alfred Döblin 1912

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this portrait of Alfred Döblin using oil on canvas, but when? Who knows! What strikes me is that it’s all about the process of seeing, and feeling. The marks are raw, almost violent, especially in the cobalt blues that surround the head. This isn't your average portrait, it's like Kirchner grabbed Döblin's face and twisted it onto the canvas. Look closely at the eyes – they're uneven, intense, and full of life. The way Kirchner builds the face with these angular brushstrokes, like fractured planes, reminds me of early Cubism, but with a wilder, more emotional edge. You can see his influence in later portraitists like Francis Bacon who also aimed to capture more than just a likeness. It's about capturing a feeling, an essence.