Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
(Germany 1880–1938)
- Title
- Three bathers
- Other titles:
- Bathers, Girls bathing
- Alternative title:
- Drei Badende Feldafing
- Year
- 1913
- Media
- Painting
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 197.5 x 147.5cm stretcher; 215.2 x 165.0 x 6.5cm frame
- Signature & date
- Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Purchase 1984
- Accession number
- 158.1984
- Location
- Modern gallery
- Further information
As one of the founding artists of 'Die Brücke' group in 1905, Kirchner is essential to the history of German expressionism, a movement he virtually personifies. Trained in Munich and Dresden, he was attracted to neo-impressionism, van Gogh and tribal artefacts, combining influences from all three in his searingly emotional paintings, drawings and prints. His woodcuts and woodcarvings combine traditional German folk forms with more primitive instincts. His oil paintings, ranging from ambitiously large to intimate in scale, equally show the effects of ethnographic research. The nudes in 'Three bathers' resemble the artist's painted carvings, echoing in turn the sculpted Eves of medieval art as well as African and Pacific statuary. Wearing lipstick and a look of enervation, these Berlin day-trippers huddle defensively in the Baltic waves. Uncannily presaging the coming blitzkrieg, the figures also predict the artist's own deteriorating health. Conscripted in 1915, Kirchner was discharged six months later with tuberculosis.
AGNSW Handbook, 1999.
- Provenance
- Fischer Fine Art Ltd (England), pre 28 Sep 1984, London/England, Purchased by the AGNSW from Fischer Fine Art 1984
Mr & Mrs Frederick Zimmermann (United States of America), Jun 1955-circa 1969, New York/New York/United States of America, Loaned by Mr and Mrs Zimmermann to 'Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: a Retrospective Exhibition' at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1969
Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), 1951-Jun 1955, New York/New York/United States of America, Purchased by Mr and Mrs Zimmermann, June 1955 from the 'Closing exhibition'.
Buchholz Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1937, closed 1951), circa 1939-1951, New York/New York/United States of America, Email from Prof. Dr. Uwe Fleckner, Kunstgeschichtliches Seminar, Universität Hamburg, 27 August 2011. 'I could figure out that your painting was confiscated at the Kunstsammlungen der Stadt Düsseldorf on 26 August 1937. It was not listed in the official confiscation records, but the fact of its confiscation is stated in the Düsseldorf museum's papers. The painting has not been in the "Degenerate Art" show of 1937, the label 2046 (verso painting) would have been composed by 5 figures if this would have been the case! It is likely that 2046 is the inventory no. of the Curt Valentin Gallery (so that Valentin would have got it ca.1939, because we know that no. 2045, a work by Dix, went to the gallery at that date).'; Loaned by Buchholz Gallery to 'Kirchner: first American retrospective exhibition of oils, watercolours, prints' at the Busch-Reisinger Museum, 8 December 1950 - 12 January 1951.
Kunstsammlungen der Stadt Düsseldorf (Germany), pre 1937, Dusseldorf/Germany, Confiscated 26 August 1937
Galerie Ludwig Schames (Germany), 1916, Frankfurt am Main/Germany, Exhibited October 1916 - Bibliography (23)
-
Kirchner and the Berlin Street (2009), Deborah Wye (Author), Museum of Modern Art, New York (United States of America).
Look (Sep 2004), Jill Sykes (Australia) (Editor), 10pm [print management] (Australia), Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (2000), Museo d'Arte Moderna della Città di Lugano (Switzerland) (Author), Museo d'Arte Moderna della Città di Lugano (Switzerland), Switzerland.
Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook (1999), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Investigator (1998), Susan Lee (Editor), Rigby Heinemann (Australia), Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Annual Report 1997 (1997), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
German Expressionism: Art and Society (1997), Stephanie Barron (Author), Wolf-Dieter Dube (Author), Bompiani, Milan, Italy.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections (1994), Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Great gifts, great patrons: an exhibition celebrating private patronage of the Gallery (1994), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
German Expressionism: The Colours of Desire (Oct 1989), Lorenz Dittmann (Germany) (Author), Magdalena Moeller (Germany) (Author), Armin Zweite (Germany) (Author), Hubertus Froning (Germany) (Author), International Cultural Corporation of Australia (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook (1988), Annabel Davie (Editor), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Five years on: a selection of acquisitions 1981-1986 (1986), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Weekend Australian (01 Sep 1984-02 Sep 1984), Editor Unknown (Editor), News Limited (Australia), Surry Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Portrait of a Gallery (1984), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Editor), Jan Meek (Australia) (Editor), Capel Court Corporation Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1968), Donald Gordon (Author), Harvard University Press (United States of America), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
German Art in the 20th Century (1968), Franz Roh (Germany, b.1890, d.1965) (Author), Thames and Hudson (England), London, England.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: A Retrospective Exhibition (1968), Donald Gordon (Author), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (United States of America), Unknown.
Die Künstlergemeinschaft "Brücke" (1956), Lothar-Günther Buchheim (Germany, b.1918, d.2007) (Author), Feldafing, Buchheim Verlag (Germany), Germany.
Closing Exhibition (1955), Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955) (Author), Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), New York, New York, United States of America.
Kirchner (1952), Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955) (Curator), Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), New York, New York, United States of America.
Lehmbruck and his contemporaries (1951), Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), New York, New York, United States of America.
Kirchner (1950), Busch-Reisinger Museum (United States of America), Busch-Reisinger Museum (United States of America), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Primitivism in Modern Painting (1938), Robert Goldwater (United States of America, b.1907, d.1973) (Author), Harper & Brothers New York, London, Unknown.
- Exhibition history (13)
-
(NGA collection display), (01 May 2010–31 Aug 2010), at National Gallery of Australia (Australia, estab. 1982), Parkes Place Parkes Canberra 2600 Australia.
German Expressionism: Art and Society, (06 Sep 1997–11 Jan 1998), at Palazzo Grassi S.p.a. (Italy), San Samuele 3231 Venice, Italy 30124.
Kirchner: First American retrospective exhibition of oils, watercolours, prints, (08 Dec 1950–12 Jan 1951), at Busch-Reisinger Museum (United States of America), Harvard University 32 Quincy Street Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America MA 02138.
Closing Exhibition, (08 Jun 1955–Jun 1955), at Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), 32 East 57 Street New York, New York, United States of America 10019.
German Expressionism: The Colours of Desire, (11 Oct 1989–10 Dec 1989), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, (16 Apr 1952–10 May 1952), at Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), 32 East 57 Street New York, New York, United States of America 10019.
Great gifts, great patrons, (17 Aug 1994–19 Oct 1994), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, (19 Mar 2000–02 Jul 2000), at Museo d'Arte Moderna della Città di Lugano (Switzerland), Viale - Franscini 9 6901 Lugano Switzerland.
German Expressionism: The Colours of Desire, (20 Dec 1989–18 Feb 1990), at National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road] (Australia, estab. 1968, closed 1999), 180 St Kilda Road Melbourne Victoria Australia 3000.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: A retrospective exhibition, (20 Mar 1969–27 Apr 1969), at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (United States of America), Avenue of the Arts 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America 02115-5523.
Lehmbruck and his contemporaries, (24 Sep 1951–13 Oct 1951), at Curt Valentin Gallery (United States of America, estab. 1951, closed 1955), 32 East 57 Street New York, New York, United States of America 10019.
Five years on: a selection of acquisitions 1981-1986, (26 Sep 1986–23 Nov 1986), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.
Kirchner, (Oct 1916–Oct 1916), at Galerie Ludwig Schames (Germany), Frankfurt am Main Germany.