Self Portrait with Cat 

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this self-portrait with cat using oil on canvas. Painted with urgency and intensity, the work embodies the Expressionist style through its bold colours and exaggerated forms, particularly in the artist's face, which is rendered in sickly greens and yellows. The visible brushstrokes and raw application of paint show the artist's process, and add to the emotional impact of the work. Kirchner's technique reflects the broader context of early 20th-century art, where artists experimented with new ways of seeing and representing the world. His approach defied academic conventions and embraced a more subjective, expressive mode of painting. By emphasizing the materiality of paint and the act of making, Kirchner broke down traditional distinctions between craft and fine art. Ultimately, the painting's enduring power resides in its ability to engage us with the artist's inner turmoil, and to reveal how materials and making can convey profound emotional and social meaning.