The image consists of sharp, angular lines and intersecting forms that create a chaotic, overlapping pattern. Bold, jagged shapes evoke the silhouette of a face and hands, reminiscent of someone playing a piano. The pointed lines and dark, contrasting areas suggest dynamic movement and energy. The layout and busy intersections of lines give an impression of an intense rhythmic flow, like a musical performance.
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Composer Klemperer

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (German, 1880 - 1938)

1916

Medium
woodcut on blotting paper
Classification
Print
Dimensions
plate: 52 × 41.7 cm (20 1/2 × 16 7/16 in.) ; sheet: 58 × 42.1 cm (22 13/16 × 16 9/16 in.)
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CG-W
Credit line
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art