Artwork
Two Nudes [obverse]
![Two Nudes [obverse], by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, oil, 1907](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/ernst-ludwig-kirchner--two-nudes-obverse--eb3914183f0bc96d-w1024.webp)
Two Nudes [obverse] is an oil painting by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1907 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work belongs to the genre of the nude, and its handling and palette reflect the painterly, expressive approach associated with Kirchner's early production.
Two Nudes [obverse] is executed in oil on canvas, a medium Kirchner handled here on a tall, narrow support measuring 196.1 cm in height by 65.4 cm in width. The pronounced vertical format shapes the composition, emphasizing the elongated arrangement of the two figures. The work belongs to the genre of the nude, and its handling and palette reflect the painterly, expressive approach associated with Kirchner's early production.
The painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it has been preserved since its 1979 gift; the sources provide no specific condition report or detailed stylistic analysis beyond the medium, support, and dimensions.
History & Provenance
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painted Two Nudes [obverse] in 1907; the work remained in the artist's estate until sold to Galerie Roman Norbert Ketterer in Lugano. It was purchased on 26 December 1978 by Mr. and Mrs. Wallace F. Holladay and Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kainen, and subsequently gifted to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1979 where it remains in the collection today.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection through a gift in 1979. It was originally created by Kirchner in 1907 and has remained in the museum's holdings since its acquisition. The work was previously owned by the artist and his estate, later sold by Galerie Roman Norbert Ketterer in Lugano, and purchased in 1978 by Wallace F. Holladay and Jacob Kainen before being gifted to the National Gallery of Art.
Overview
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painted Two Nudes [obverse] in 1907 with oil on canvas. The work belongs to the early phase of German Expressionism, a movement in which Kirchner was a central figure and a co‑founder of the artists’ collective Die Brücke. The painting presents a solitary female nude rendered with vivid, non‑naturalistic color and a highly textured surface.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman seen from the side, her back turned toward the viewer. Her skin is rendered in saturated yellows, oranges and pinks, while her dark, unkempt hair frames a small object held in one hand. The exaggerated coloration and the isolated stance reflect the Expressionist aim of conveying inner feeling rather than literal representation.
![Nude Figure [reverse]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/ernst-ludwig-kirchner--nude-figure-reverse--4b135f0364753e98-w320.webp)
Artist & collection
Artist
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker.
![Dance Hall Bellevue [obverse], by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/ernst-ludwig-kirchner--dance-hall-bellevue-obverse--d1e14aac4297c69e-w320.webp)
