Who painted Nude Women with a Child in the Forest?

Nude Women with a Child in the Forest was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1925.

Where can I see Nude Women with a Child in the Forest?

Nude Women with a Child in the Forest is held by National Gallery of Art.

Can I buy a print of Nude Women with a Child in the Forest?

Museum-quality prints of Nude Women with a Child in the Forest are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Nude Women with a Child in the Forest

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1925

Nude Women with a Child in the Forest is an ink print by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1925 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower right in graphite: Eigendruck Mobidruck 24; lower left in graphite: EL Kirchner; bottom center by later hand in graphite: 61 / B6975

About this work

Overview

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s 1925 print Nude Women with a Child in the Forest presents three figures, two adults and a child, within a densely wooded setting. Rendered in a limited palette of dark green, light green, pink and white, the composition relies on bold, flat color areas that define the forms and the surrounding foliage.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts two nude adults turned toward one another, with a child reaching out between them, suggesting an intimate familial or protective relationship amid nature. The forest backdrop, rendered in thick green masses, frames the figures and may evoke themes of primal connection, vulnerability, and the interplay between humanity and the natural world.

Technique & Style

Kirchner employed a color woodcut process, carving separate blocks for each hue and printing them in succession to achieve layered coloration. The resulting lines are crisp and the figures are reduced to simplified, almost sculptural silhouettes, reflecting the expressionist emphasis on emotional impact over realistic detail.

History & Provenance

As a founding member of Die Brücke, Kirchner was instrumental in shaping early 20th‑century German Expressionism. This 1925 print belongs to the later phase of his career, when he turned increasingly to printmaking. The piece has circulated in museum and private collections, illustrating the artist’s sustained interest in woodcut as a vehicle for his bold visual language.