Final answer:
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's 'Self-Portrait as a Soldier' represents his fear, loss of identity, and diminished creative power as an effect of World War I, which is emblematic of the broader impact on artists of his generation. Option A is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's painting 'Self-Portrait as a Soldier' is a powerful embodiment of the psychological trauma and inner turmoil experienced by the artist due to the destruction of World War I. Serving as a reflection of the physically and mentally crippling effects of the war, it not only symbolizes Kirchner's fear of war but also his perception of the diminishing creative powers within himself and his generation.
After being drafted and subsequently discharged due to a breakdown, Kirchner's art became a medium through which he processed his experiences. His incorporation of expressive techniques aligns with the shift in representation seen in other Expressionist artists of the time, who strived to portray the essence and underlying emotions of their subjects. Through his distorted self-image—as depicted in the painting—Kirchner conveyed the loss of identity and purpose, effects that many soldiers like those in Baselitz's Heroes series, struggled with after the conflict.
The depiction of himself as a mutilated soldier in this self-portrait poignantly illustrates the void left by his physical and emotional wounds, the very ones that many of his contemporaries experienced as well. This piece of art stands as a testament to the fractured psyche and the existential crisis that was common among those who had firsthand experiences of the war's devastation.