Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

A girl with long, dark hair is lying on her stomach on a cushion. She is wearing a simple dress with a petticoat and apron and appears to be asleep. Her right leg is bent upwards and with her right hand she is holding a kitten on her stomach, which is also lying sideways on the cushion with its face turned towards her. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner captures a peaceful scene here with a few confidently placed strokes of chalk and hatching. The blue paper he chose for this drawing makes it all the more special. At the height of the Brücke period, we see here a typical work by the artist that reflects the ideas and aims of the group in its simplicity and concentration on the essentials: The artists do not want to show the academic model, but everyday situations and motifs. They do not lose themselves in details, but go in search of quick abbreviations that represent their world. With these elementary means of expression, the Brücke artists developed a two-dimensional, dynamic style of painting. They rebelled against the mannered poses of rigidised academy art and created revolutionary works that countered Impressionism with an expressive, emotional style of painting.

Kirchner and the other Brücke artists strive for a new unity of art and life, which is an expression of their subjective, inner experience of the world and their feelings. The unity of art and life is illustrated in our work in a particularly harmonious way. The sitter is one of the models from Kirchner's neighbourhood, resting in his studio, whom Kirchner presents to us in complete relaxation during an everyday activity. This sheet is particularly attractive due to the exciting contrast between the tranquillity radiated by the motif of the sleeping girl and the dynamic lines and painting style.