Object number2023.4.8

Gewecke und Erna

Date1913

Artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (German, 1880-1938)

Publisher Graphisches Kabinett J. B. Neumann (Berlin, 1910 - 1923)

CultureGerman

MediumDrypoint

EditionEdition of approximately 30, plus 5 known proofs before the edition

DimensionsSheet: 18 9/16 x 14 3/8 in. (47.1 x 36.5 cm)
Plate: 9 7/8 x 10 1/4 in. (25.1 x 26 cm)
Matted: 19 3/8 x 15 1/4 in. (49.2 x 38.7 cm)

Credit LineBequest of Lynn Gross Straus, class of 1946

Period20th c

Classification(s)

SignedOn recto, signed lower right margin in pencil: Kirchner

InscribedOn verso, by unidentified hand, lower left corner in pencil: 458

Catalogue raisonnéDübe/Wolf-Dieter 169BibliographyGrace Borgenicht Gallery. E. L. Kirchner: Paintings and Works on Paper. Exhibition Catalogue. New York: Grace Borgenicht Gallery, 1983, p. 25ProvenanceGrace Borgenicht Gallery, New York;
Purchased by the donor, May 6, 1983;

Vassar Exhibitions

A Living Legacy: Gifts from Lynn Gross Straus

Exhibition HistoryE. L. Kirchner: Paintings and Works on Paper, Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, NY, April 5 – 30, 1983

Label TextErnst Ludwig Kirchner frequently created depictions of friendship, conversation, and domestic life during his residency in Berlin from 1911 to 1915. This print portrays Hans Gewecke and Erna Schilling, a student of Kirchner’s and his partner. The artist was often concerned with the fluidity and movement of his printed lines; with its harsh diagonals, the depiction of Gewecke and Erna marks the start of his experimentation with a new technique. The use of drypoint generates intense linearity and a slightly blurry quality in which the figures’ contours are simultaneously sharp and gestural. Consequently, these powerful lines create a sense of movement within the print, as if the setting of Kirchner’s Berlin studio and the subjects’ relationship itself are charged with energy.

DescriptionA man seated, wearing a suit dominates the composition and another figure is visible in the upper left. The composition is made of bold, angular linework with shading in the form of quick, tight zigzag forms.

Terms

male

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email loebcollections@vassar.edu