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Reclining Nude

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

1905

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern Nude

Dominant colour

Reclining Nude is a 1905 ink by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
When & what style?: 1905
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This is a simple black-and-white print of a person lying on their side. Their body is drawn in bold, thick lines with no detail—just smooth curves and a few sharp angles. Above them, small circles float like stars or bubbles against a dark background. The artist used a tool to carve into wood, then inked it to make the print. That’s why the lines are so crisp and the colors are only black and white. Next, check out how the artist made this using woodcut.