Two Women (Zwei Frauen)
Medium
lithograph, printed in black and pale orange inks, on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 42 x 32 cm (16 9/16 x 12 5/8 in.) sheet: 53.8 x 41.9 cm (21 3/16 x 16 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.143
Art Historical Context
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's *Two Women (Zwei Frauen)*, in 1914, the raw emotional intensity of German Expressionism. As a founding member of the group Die Brücke, Kirchner rejected traditional realism in favor of distorted forms, vivid colors, and bold lines to convey inner turmoil and modern life's alienation. This lithograph, made on the eve of World War—a time when Kirchner grappled with anxiety and the looming conflict—exemplifies his focus on the female figure as a symbol of vitality and sensuality amid societal upheaval. Printed in black and pale orange inks on wove paper, the work showcase...
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...