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Harbor at Burgstaaken

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1913

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern Marine

Dominant colour

Harbor at Burgstaaken is a 1913 ink by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
When & what style?: 1913
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a busy harbor scene with ships, buildings, and people drawn in quick, jagged lines. The lines overlap everywhere, making it feel crowded and chaotic. The paper has a grainy texture, and the ink looks uneven, like it was made by hand. The artist used a technique where ink is scratched into a metal plate, then pressed onto paper—this is called etching. The way the lines twist and pile up gives the whole scene a restless energy. Check out etching to see how this method works up close.