Erna Bathing in a Tub

1913/1914

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Associated Names
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Artist, German, 1880 - 1938

The image shows a sketched figure in a crouched position. The figure is viewed from a side angle, leaning forward with legs folded underneath. The face is abstract, with a blend of colors indicating an androgynous look. The hair is blue and green. The figure is nude, outlined with bold strokes in colors like yellow, orange, and green. The background has swirls and bright colors like red, blue, and green. Black lines and smudges add depth and energy to the image. There are no specific accessories or items shown with the figure.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and ink over clear water washes over color crayons on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen

  • Dimensions

    overall: 52.4 x 36.2 cm (20 5/8 x 14 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2012.92.21

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

E.L. Kirchner estate, Basel (Lugt 1570b). (Galerie Roman Norbert Ketterer, Lugano); Ruth Kainen, Washington, D.C., purchased October 14, 1975; Gift to NGA, 2012.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1978

  • Master Drawings from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art and Promised Gifts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1978, p. 123.

1987

  • Master Drawings and Watercolors: Selections from the National Gallery Collection and Promised Gifts, Washington, D. C., 1978, p. 123.

1992

  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: Painting and Drawing, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., 1992 (no cat.).

2001

  • A Century of Drawing, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., 2001-2002, no. 22 (entry by Andrew Robison)(color).

2003

  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1880-1938. Royal Academy of Art, London, and National Gallery of Art, Washington. Washington, 2003, no. 81 (Washington only).

2014

  • Modern German Prints and Drawings from the Kainen Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2014.

Bibliography

1998

  • Presler, Gerd. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: Seine Frauen, seine Modelle, seine Bilder. Munich, 1998: 60 (color).

Inscriptions

on verso, E. L. Kirchner estate stamp, annotated in pen and black ink: Fs Da I Bg 48; in graphite: K6281 / 121

Wikidata ID

Q64559837

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