Who painted Heads of Two Girls?

Heads of Two Girls was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1919.

Where can I see Heads of Two Girls?

Heads of Two Girls is held by National Gallery of Art.

Artwork

Heads of Two Girls

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1919

Heads of Two Girls is an ink print by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1919, Heads of Two Girls is a drypoint print by German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. The work presents two closely positioned female heads, their features rendered with fluid, wavering lines and bold, dark strokes that define hair and clothing. The paper’s uneven surface reflects the direct incising of the image onto the plate, giving the piece a sketch‑like immediacy.

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on the intimate encounter of two young women, their heads inclined toward one another in a quiet dialogue. Kirchner’s handling of line conveys a psychological tension, inviting viewers to sense the emotional undercurrents between the figures. The stark simplicity of the heads underscores his interest in expressing inner states through minimal visual information.

Technique & Style

The loose, wavy contours and pronounced strokes are characteristic of Kirchner’s expressionist approach, emphasizing spontaneity over precise draftsmanship.

Kirchner employed drypoint, a printmaking method in which a sharp tool scratches lines directly into a copper or zinc plate. The resulting burr holds ink, producing rich, velvety darks and delicate gradations when the plate is pressed onto paper. The loose, wavy contours and pronounced strokes are characteristic of Kirchner’s expressionist approach, emphasizing spontaneity over precise draftsmanship.

History & Provenance

The print emerged shortly after Kirchner’s return from World War I, a period marked by personal crisis and a brief military discharge. The trauma of the war informed much of his post‑war output, including this work. In the 1930s, the Nazi regime classified Kirchner’s art as degenerate; over six hundred of his pieces were confiscated, sold, or destroyed in 1937, though this particular print survived.

Context

Kirchner co‑founded Die Brücke in 1905, a collective that sought to break with academic tradition and pioneer Expressionism. By 1919, the group had dissolved, yet its emphasis on raw emotional expression persisted in his work. Heads of Two Girls reflects the broader shift in early‑20th‑century German art toward personal, psychological subject matter, aligning with the movement’s core objectives.