Who painted Nude Girl?

Nude Girl was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1906.

Where can I see Nude Girl?

Nude Girl is held by National Gallery of Art.

Can I buy a print of Nude Girl?

Museum-quality prints of Nude Girl are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Nude Girl

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1906

Nude Girl is an ink print by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1906 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:verso bottom edge by later hand in graphite: Schiefler I. Sch Dr 32 N.41; 184; K 601; C 237

About this work

Overview

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner produced the woodcut Nude Girl in 1906. Executed entirely in black, the print presents a solitary female figure rendered through the stark contrasts typical of early twentieth‑century German expressionism. The work belongs to Kirchner’s printmaking output during his involvement with the avant‑garde collective Die Brücke, which sought to break with academic conventions.

Subject & Meaning

The composition shows a young woman in a twisted stance, her head turned to the right and hair cascading down her back. Her arms are bent at the elbows, hands near her face, creating a sense of tension and immediacy. The exaggerated pose and simplified anatomy convey an emotional intensity rather than a literal study of anatomy, reflecting the group’s interest in raw, subjective expression.

Technique & Style

The stark dichotomy of black and white, combined with the vigorous line work, generates a dynamic visual rhythm that emphasizes movement and texture.

Kirchner employed traditional woodcut methods, carving deep grooves into the block to produce bold, sinuous lines that define the figure’s contours. The relief printing process yields a uniform black background, allowing the white of the paper to outline the nude’s shape. The stark dichotomy of black and white, combined with the vigorous line work, generates a dynamic visual rhythm that emphasizes movement and texture.

History & Provenance

Created shortly after Die Brücke’s founding, the print exemplifies the collective’s early aesthetic. Kirchner’s career later suffered under the pressures of World War I and the Nazi regime, which labeled his work as degenerate. Despite these hardships, Nude Girl remains documented as part of his 1906 output, illustrating the formative period of his expressionist practice.