Enkidu Became Clay [Enkidu ist zu Erde geworden]
1947
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View on museum website →Medium
lithograph in black on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 34.7 x 43.2 cm (13 11/16 x 17 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jacob Kainen
Accession Number
2002.98.255
Art Historical Context
Willi Baumeister's *Enkidu Became ClayEnkidu ist zu Erde geworden]*, created in 1947, is a striking black lithograph on laid paper, 34.7 x 43.2 cm. This print captures the German artist's fascination with ancient myths and primal forms, drawing its evocative title from the Epic of Gilgamesh—the oldest known epic—where the wild man Enkidu returns to the earth as clay after his death.umeister, a pioneer of abstract art in Germany, infused his work with organic, biomorphic shapes reminiscent of prehistoric cave paintings and non-Western art, blending modernism with timeless human narratives. Pro...