Self-Portrait in the Studio (Selbstbildnis im Atelier)

1923

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Associated Names
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Artist, German, 1880 - 1938

The image features two figures in a sketch-like drawing with visible charcoal or pencil strokes. The person on the left occupies a significant portion of the composition, from the head down to the waist. This figure is in a frontal position with a slightly tilted head and prominent facial features such as thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and defined jawline, with short hair drawn with strong lines. The person is wearing what appears to be a shirt or tunic, based on broad strokes around the upper body. To the right, there is a second person, partially turned away and positioned slightly in the middle ground, with only the head and part of the torso visible. This person also has defined facial features and long hair.

Surrounding the figures are abstract and loosely drawn elements, including what looks like a sketch of additional figures on the wall in the background. The background is filled with varied lines and shapes, hinting at window blinds or vertical elements, adding to the sketch's dynamic and layered aesthetic.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black crayon on board

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 49.8 × 33.9 cm (19 5/8 × 13 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2012.92.751


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

E.L. Kirchner estate, Basel (Lugt 1570b). (Roman Norbert Ketterer, Lugano, September 11, 1985, lot 232); (via Galerie Wolfgang Ketterer, Munich); Ruth Cole Kainen [1922-2009], Washington, D.C. (Lugt 4740); Gift to NGA, 2012.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1985

  • Ausstellung Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: Gemälde, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen, Graphik. Galerie Wolfgang Ketterer, Munich, 1985, 230-231, no. 232 (repro).

2014

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

2024

  • The Anxious Eye: German Expressionism and Its Legacy, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2024.

Bibliography

2002

  • Henze, Wolfgang. Die Plastik Ernst Ludwig Kirchners: Monographie mit Werkverzeichnis. Bern, 2002: 199, 205, 354, 355, fig.104

Inscriptions

on verso, in graphite: K 7074 (crossed out), B6280; E. L. Kirchner estate stamp annotated in pen and black ink: K Dal Bi 70;

Wikidata ID

Q64559859

You may be interested in

Loading Results