A bold Expressionist woodcut by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, depicting a goatherd and his flock within the rugged, angular terrain of the Swiss Alps.

This woodcut by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner captures a scene of rural life in the Swiss Alps, a subject the artist returned to frequently after his move to Davos in 1917. The composition displays the characteristic angularity and raw energy associated with the Die Brücke group, of which Kirchner was a founding member. By carving directly into the woodblock, Kirchner achieves a stark contrast between the black ink and the paper, creating a sense of immediacy and physical presence.

The goatherd stands to the left, a solitary figure overseeing the movement of his animals across the rugged terrain. The surrounding mountains are rendered with simplified, jagged forms that echo the sharp lines of the goats and the architecture of the alpine structures. Kirchner avoids smooth transitions, preferring instead to use bold, rhythmic marks that convey the motion of the herd and the uneven texture of the mountain slopes. This approach reflects his interest in the primitive and the directness of folk art, which he sought to integrate into his modern aesthetic.

Unlike his earlier, more frantic urban scenes from his Berlin period, this work exhibits a calmer, more rhythmic quality. The repetition of the goats' forms creates a sense of movement across the frame, while the heavy outlines define the space without relying on traditional perspective. The woodcut medium is essential to the final effect, as the resistance of the wood grain informs the final shape of the lines. This print offers a clear view into Kirchner's later stylistic development, where he moved away from the psychological tension of his city works toward a more integrated, albeit still highly subjective, view of the natural world.