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Heads of Two Girls

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1919

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Heads of Two Girls is a 1919 ink by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
When & what style?: 1919
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows two faces drawn close together, their heads tilted slightly. The lines are loose and wavy, with thick, dark strokes for hair and clothing. The paper has a rough, textured look, like the artist scratched into it. The drawing feels quick, almost like a sketchbook page. The artist used a technique where ink is scratched into a metal plate, then pressed onto paper—this is called drypoint. Next, check out technique: drypoint to see how it works.