Die Tauben II (The Deaf II) (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

Kurt Wolff

Publisher, German, 1887 - 1963

The image is a woodcut illustration depicting five human figures. Four figures are visible from the waist up, and one is seated and shown entirely. The standing figures appear to be gathered around the seated one, slightly leaning towards them. Their facial features are exaggerated and angular, with prominent noses and simplified expressions, and their hair appears stylized with sharp lines and shapes. They are wearing long, flowing garments that resemble robes. The seated figure is bent forward slightly. In the background, there is a window with a distinct rectangular shape and what could be the outline of a sixth person seen waving outside the window. There are no visible jewelry or objects held. The background includes linear patterns typical of woodcut art. The entire illustration is framed on the page, which contains a poem in a Gothic-style script above the image.

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

    2012.92.40.37

  • 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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