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Five Women on the Street

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1914

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Five Women on the Street is a 1914 ink by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
When & what style?: 1914
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows five women walking together on a city street. Their faces are simple shapes, and their clothes look like flowing fabric. Umbrellas and hats add sharp lines to the scene. The background has tall buildings and trees, but they’re drawn in bold, flat blocks. The artist used a tool to carve into wood, then inked it to make this print. That’s why the lines are so crisp and the black areas are solid. The way the figures overlap gives a sense of movement, even though it’s just ink on paper. Next, look up woodcut to see how this technique works.