Throughout his life Ernst Ludwig Kirchner adhered to the maxim to live up to “the pure obligation to harmonize art and life.” For him, life and art formed an inseparable, mutually inspiring unit. No other German Expressionist wrote as much as Kirchner did about his creative activities and life. Countless letters, journals, and work-related writings provide genuine insight into the painter’s thoughts and feelings.This publication traces Kirchner’s artistic and personal paths, using selected observations he made about himself, which bring the artist to life for the reader. Visual materials from his life illustrate the volume, and most of the photographs were taken by Kirchner himself. The color plates of paintings and other works also concentrate on self-portraits of the artist. Dr. Andreas Gabelmann (*1967 in Karlsruhe). Studied art history, architectural history, and literature at the universities of Karlsruhe and Bamberg. Numerous publications on classic modern art, with an emphasis on Expressionism. Lives and works in Radolfzell am Bodensee. On this subject a catalogue (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-2552-1; English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-2553-8) and a publication in the Art to Hear series (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-2554-5; English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-2555-2) are also available.