Who painted Two Peasant Heads?

Two Peasant Heads was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1920.

Where can I see Two Peasant Heads?

Two Peasant Heads is held by National Gallery of Art.

Can I buy a print of Two Peasant Heads?

Museum-quality prints of Two Peasant Heads are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Two Peasant Heads

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1920

Two Peasant Heads is an ink print by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left in graphite: Eigendruck; lower right in graphite: E.L. Kirchner; bottom center in graphite: Bergbauern; lower left verso by later hand in graphite: K9440; =Sch 354 II

About this work

Overview

Created in 1920, Two Peasant Heads is a black‑and‑white print by German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Executed through a combination of etching and drypoint, the work presents a tightly framed pair of faces rendered in dense, intersecting lines. The composition conveys a sense of intimacy, as the two heads appear almost merged, their gazes fixed directly on the viewer.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts two rural figures whose features are partially obscured by vigorous, overlapping strokes. The stark contrast between the clear eyes and the tangled surrounding marks suggests a tension between visibility and concealment, perhaps alluding to the private inner lives of peasants or the broader anonymity of laboring classes in post‑war Germany.

Technique & Style

Kirchner employed traditional etching, incising a metal plate with acid, and complemented it with drypoint, where a needle directly scratches the surface, producing a softer, velvety line. The print is dominated by cross‑hatching and dense stippling, creating deep shadows and a tactile surface that emphasizes the artist’s expressive, gestural handling of line.

History & Provenance

The work belongs to a phase in Kirchner’s career when he intensively explored print media, expanding beyond his earlier paintings. As a founding member of the avant‑garde group Die Brücke, he used prints to disseminate the group’s radical aesthetic. Two Peasant Heads entered public collections through early 20th‑century acquisitions, reflecting the growing interest in German Expressionist prints.

Context

Produced shortly after World War I, the print reflects the social upheaval and artistic experimentation of the Weimar period. Kirchner’s focus on peasant subjects aligns with a broader Expressionist interest in everyday people, while his aggressive line work mirrors the emotional turbulence that defined much of the era’s visual culture.