Two Nudes [obverse]

1907

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Associated Names
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Artist, German, 1880 - 1938

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Associated Artworks

In this tall, thin painting, a nude person stands in a strange position. Their lower body is seen from the back, while their upper body appears to face us, with their head turned towards the left. The individual has light skin and short, dark hair styled close to their scalp, partially covering their forehead. The person holds a thin white fabric or cloth in both hands, and it appears to drape around their shoulders and behind them. The background features a bold palette of colors, with a vivid yellow area on the top and right and a black rectangle on the left, framing the figure's lower body. The floor beneath the figure is a muted green color.

Nude Figure [reverse]

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1907

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The artist; his estate; (Galerie Roman Norbert Ketterer, Lugano); purchased 26 December 1978 by Mr. and Mrs. Wallace F. Holladay, Washington, D.C., and Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kainen, Chevy Chase, Maryland; gift 1979 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1992

  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: Paintings, Drawings and Prints, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1992, no cat.

1997

  • Body, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1997, no. 74, repro.

2003

  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1880-1938 [London title: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: The Dresden and Berlin Years], National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2003, no. 7, repro.

2005

  • Brüke: The Birth of German Expressionism (Brüke: El naixement de l'expressionisme alemany), Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid; Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona; Berlinische Galerie, 2005-2006, no. 36, repro.

2009

  • Brücke: The Birth of Expressionism in Dresden and Berlin, 1905-1913, Neue Galerie New York, 2009, no. 43, repro.

2018

  • German Expressionism: E.L. Kirchner's Imaginary Travels, Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn, 2018-2019, pl. 14.

2019

  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Neue Galerie New York, 2019 - 2020, no. 4, repro.

Bibliography

1968

  • Gordon, Donald E. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1968: 331, no. 440cv, repro. 420 (mislabeled no. 440av).

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 216, repro.

Wikidata ID

Q20191137

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