Nachtwort (Night Word) (in-text plate) from mock-up of Georg Heym: Umbra Vitae (Georg Heym: Shadow of Life)

1912/1922

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Associated Names
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Artist, German, 1880 - 1938

Georg Heym

Author, German, born Poland, 1887 - 1912

Spamersche Buchdruckerei, Leipzig

Printer

Kurt Wolff

Publisher, German, 1887 - 1963

This is a drawing of a stylized human figure with a rainbow above, set in a landscape. The illustration is on a page of printed German text. The drawing shows a geometric human figure standing with a rainbow above. In the background are elements of a landscape, including a small structure resembling a house and vegetation. The illustration's style is bold and contrasting, resembling a woodcut or engraving technique. The page shows signs of aging with discoloration and spots.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut from a bound volume with 51 woodcuts (including cover and front and back endpapers) on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen

  • Dimensions

    book: 21.7 × 14.5 × 1.3 cm (8 9/16 × 5 11/16 × 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2012.92.40.49

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Dube 1980, nos. 611, 759-807, and 1 undesc.

  • Volume Title

    Georg Heym: Umbra Vitae (Georg Heym: Shadow of Life)

Associated Artworks

See all 51 artworks
The image shows a stylized artwork of a profile view of a person, with their head and part of the upper body visible. The person is facing to the left, with their hand touching their head. The facial features are abstract and angular, rendered in bold black lines. The hair is simplified and dark. The person appears to be wearing a garment, with contours extending from the neck downward. The background is textured with dark green and off-white tones, with text at the top reading "Georg Heym" and "UMBRAVITÆ."

Bucheinband (cover) from mock-up of Georg Heym: Umbra Vitae (Georg Heym: Shadow of Life)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Georg Heym, Spamersche Buchdruckerei, Leipzig, Kurt Wolff

1912

The image displays bold, angular lines and shapes forming an abstract figure in profile outlined in black against a green and tan background. The shapes suggest familiar elements like a head and arm in a geometric style reminiscent of cubism. The composition is abstract with a feeling of depth and structure created by the black outlines and color contrast. Dark, textured areas add complexity. The text "Georg Heym Umarvitac" at the top complements the abstract aesthetic.

Artist's mock-up of Georg Heym: Umbra Vitae (Georg Heym: Shadow of Life)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Georg Heym, Spamersche Buchdruckerei, Leipzig, Kurt Wolff

1912

The image shows abstract shapes and lines forming two distinct clusters against a monochromatic background. On the left, there are angular, abstract faces resembling caricature-like facial expressions. On the right, there are elongated, linear figures suggesting human forms in motion. Both clusters are enclosed within rounded edges and separated by a horizontal division. Handwritten text is present at the top and bottom of the page.

Vorsatz (front endpapers) from mock-up of Georg Heym: Umbra Vitae (Georg Heym: Shadow of Life)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Georg Heym, Spamersche Buchdruckerei, Leipzig, Kurt Wolff

1912

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner; Walter Kern [1898-1966], Winterthur (Lugt 1567a); Erna Kirchner, Kirchner's wife, acquired from Walter Kern, June 20, 1940. Hans Bolliger, Zurich (?); [1] (Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, 21 June 1985, no. 104); (via Wolfgang Wittrock Kunsthandel, Düsseldorf); Ruth Cole Kainen [1922-2009], Washington, DC (Lugt 4739); gift to NGA, 2012.
[1] Derived from correspondence between Ruth Kainen and Bob Rifkind, August 13, 1985, in which the former mentions the "Bollinger" collection in relation to the present object.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2014

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

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