Lying nude, ca. 1923

About the Acquisition

When Ernst Ludwig Kirchner took his own life in Switzerland in June 1938, the Second World War had yet to begin. It would be eight years after the war ended before Kirchner's brother, Walter, succeeded in transferring the artist's entire estate back to Germany. The management of the Städel Museum quickly showed great interest, especially in his works on paper. The acquisitions were accompanied by a number of donations from the heirs to the estate, who wanted to help to fill the gaps in numerous German museum collections of modern art which had been caused by the confiscations during the 'degenerate art' campaign in 1937.