Curatorial Narrative Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s “Selbstbildnis mit Erna” (1933) emerges from the tumultuous period of Weimar Germany, when modernist ideals were being tested by the harsh realities of politics and economy. The artist’s decision to work in black and white was likely a deliberate choice, meant to strip away extraneous visual information and focus attention on the essential forms and structures that underlie human experience. Kirchner’s use of linear brushwork imbues the portrait with an air of tension, as if the lines themselves are exerting pressure on the canvas.When enlarged to 44×62 inches, “Selbstbildnis mit Erna” reveals a chromatic structure that oscillates between stark contrasts and subtle nuances. The black background exerts a powerful atmospheric weight, drawing the viewer’s eye inexorably towards the sitter’s face. The minimalist composition so typical of modernist portraiture allows Kirchner to focus on the