Bathing Couple
Medium
color woodcut printed in black, blue, green, and red on blotting paper
Dimensions
image: 20.5 x 30.5 cm (8 1/16 x 12 in.) sheet: 25 x 35.4 cm (9 13/16 x 13 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.135
Art Historical Context
**Bathing Couple**, a vibrant color woodcut by Ludwig Kirchner from 191, captures the raw energy German Expressionism. Kirchner, a founding member of revolutionary group Die Brücke (The Bridge), formed in Dresden in 1905, sought to break from academic traditions with bold, emotional works. This print depicts an intimate scene of a couple bathing, likely evoking themes of primal vitality and harmony with nature—hallmarks of the group's fascination with the human form and unfiltered experience. Printed in black, blue, green, and red on blotting paper, the medium exemplifies Kirchner's mastery o...
About the Artist
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1880–1938
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born on May 6, 1880, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, to parents Ernst and Maria Kirchner, part of a family of Prussian descent that frequently relocated due to his father's career as a chemical technician. After early schooling in various towns, he studied architecture at the Königliche Technische Hochschule (Technical University) in Dresden from 1901 to 1905, taking courses i...