1914
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Woman and Child (Weib und Kind) is a 1914 ink by Wilhelm Lehmbruck, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows three naked figures standing close together. The woman in the center is tall, with one arm raised and her hair flowing. Behind her, a smaller child clings to her side, while a larger man stands to the right, his head turned slightly away. The lines are loose and scratchy, giving a rough, textured look. The artist used a drypoint technique, which means they etched lines into a metal plate with a sharp tool. This left behind a grainy, almost sketchy feel that’s different from smooth pencil drawings. Look up technique: drypoint to see how it works.
Wilhelm Lehmbruck (4 January 1881 – 25 March 1919) was a German sculptor. One of the most important of his generation, he was influenced by realism and expressionism.
See the richer artist page
