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3609
ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER(Aschaffenburg 1880 - 1938 Frauenkirch/
Davos)
Der Wanderer. 1922.
Drypoint etching, 3rd state, one of 9 prints
of this state known to date. On the reverse
with the estate stamp: Nachlass E.L. Kirch-
ner R395 III. Image 18.2 x 30.5 cm on vélin
30.4 x 42.6 cm.
We thank Prof. Dr. Gercken for his scientific
advice. The work will be included in his
forthcoming catalogue of prints by Ernst
Ludwig Kirchner under the number 1309.
Catalogue raisonné: Dube, no. R407 (III
from IV).
Seriously ill and traumatised by World
War I, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner initially came
to Davos for medical treatment in 1917.
Ravaged by paralysis symptoms in his legs
and arms as well as his drug and medicine
addiction, he intended to make Switzer-
land a short-term refuge for recovery
and convalescence. However, it quickly
became his new home and engine for a
new creative phase in his oeuvre. Already
in the following year, he rented the house
“In den Lärchen”, which he retained as
a summer residence. In 1921, his life
companion, Erna Schilling, finally reloca-
ted to Switzerland and they both moved
to their new house “Auf demWildboden
bei Frauenkirch” in 1923. The mountains
provided Kirchner protection against the
war. He clung to the landscape which he
perceived as so positive, explored his new
surroundings and actively sought contact
to the farmers, which helped him to over-
come his mental and physical problems
in the meantime. Reidemeister describes
Kirchner’s journey to Davos as follows: „...
after diverse stations of a torturous medi-
cal history [he] again established roots in
the mountains of the Davos valley, in order
to become an interpreter of spectacular
nature and of a strong human race integ-
rated in its rhythm there.“ (Exhibition ca-
talogue: Expressionism in the mountains,
also Kunstmuseum Berlin, 2007, p. 9).
His admiration of the farmers who lived in
close touch with nature and worked hard
physically was expressed by Kirchner in
numerous graphic reproductions during
this period. His woodcuts are best known
in this context but, as we can see in the
present work “Der Wanderer” (The Wan-
derer9, he also grappled intensively with
etching. Depicting a wanderer traversing
the Swiss mountains on a path, this work
captivates through the extraordinary
choice of the format. With just a few lines,
Kirchner creates a mountainscape in
which he prominently positions the wan-
derer through his strong, closely placed
drypoint lines.
The present etching impressively
demonstrates the quality of Kirchner’s
graphic oeuvre.
CHF 15 000 / 20 000
(€ 13 890 / 18 520)
3609
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Prints, Multiples & Photography