Open full image Pin

Goats and Clouds

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1919

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Goats and Clouds is a 1919 ink by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
When & what style?: 1919
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows two goats standing under a tree with a sky full of wavy, swirling clouds. The lines are loose and fast, like quick pencil strokes. The goats look simple but alive, with just a few marks for their bodies and legs. The artist used a technique that lets ink sit in the grooves of the plate, creating dark lines on light paper. This makes the drawing feel both rough and precise at the same time. Next, look up etching to see how this method works.