Self-Portrait with a Model 1910

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this self-portrait with a model, using oil on canvas. The bold, almost clashing, color palette makes you think about the complexities of relationships, or maybe just the everyday negotiations in the studio. The texture is pretty raw, right? You can see how the paint’s been dragged across the canvas, especially in the model’s dress and legs. The brushwork is visible, not trying to hide itself. I’m drawn to the way Kirchner uses these thick, confident strokes to define the robe, really giving it weight and presence. It’s like he’s saying, "Here I am, flaws and all." There’s something vulnerable and honest about the way Kirchner portrays himself and his model, kind of like what you see in some of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s portraits from around the same time, where the subjects are presented with this unvarnished directness. For both of them, it’s less about perfect representation and more about the feeling of being alive.