Two Women by a Sink; The Sisters, 1913

Dimensions: 121.0 x 90.5 cm

Physical Description: Oil on canvas

Inventory Number: 2066

Acquisition: Acquired in 1959, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.; formerly Carl Hagemann Collection

Status: On display, 1st upper level, Modern Art, room 11

Texts

About the Work

From 1912 onwards, the sisters Erna and Gerda Schilling appear in many of Kirchner’s Berlin period paintings (1911–1917). Both worked as dancers in nightclubs and as models for various artists. Close together and yet isolated from each other, Kirchner placed Gerda diagonally behind Erna dipping her hands into a sink. The pointy shapes, garish colours and the play on the complementary contrast of pink and green are typical of Kirchner’s Berlin period paintings. It all reflects his experiences in the big city, especially the fast pace of life and the isolation of the individual. As Kirchner’s significant other, Erna (1884–1945) supported him in his artistic work, made embroideries according to his designs and later also took care of his business as well as the administration of his estate.

About the Acquisition

From 1900 onwards, the Frankfurt chemist and industrialist Carl Hagemann (1867‒1940) assembled one of the most important private collections of modern art. It included numerous paintings, drawings, watercolours and prints, especially by members of the artist group “Die Brücke”. After Carl Hagemann died in an accident during the Second World War, the then Städel director Ernst Holzinger arranged for Hagemann’s heirs to evacuate his collection with the museum’s collection. In gratitude, the family donated almost all of the works on paper to the Städel Museum in 1948. Further donations and permanent loans as well as purchases of paintings and watercolours from the Hagemann estate helped to compensate for the losses the museum had suffered in 1937 as part of the Nazi’s “Degenerate Art” campaign. Today, the Hagemann Collection forms the core of the Städel museum’s Expressionist collection.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title: Two Women by a Sink; The Sisters

Painter

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Period Produced

20th century

School

expressionism

Object Type

painting (artwork)

Physical Description: Oil on canvas

Material

canvas

Technique

Label at the Time of Manufacture: Signiert links unter der rechten Hand der Dame in Rosa: E. L. Kirchner

Property and Acquisition

Institution

Städel Museum

Departement

Modern Art 1800–1945

Collection

Städelsches Kunstinstitut

Creditline: Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Eigentum des Städelschen Museums-Vereins e.V.

Picture Copyright: Public Domain

Acquisition: Acquired in 1959, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.; formerly Carl Hagemann Collection

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre

portrait

Main Motif

Persons Shown

Iconclass

Primary

61BB2(SCHILLING, Erna)12(+54) historical person (SCHILLING, Erna) - BB - woman - historical person (SCHILLING, Erna) in a double-portrait (+ three-quarter length portrait)
61BB2(SCHILLING, Gerda)12(+55) historical person (SCHILLING, Gerda) - BB - woman - historical person (SCHILLING, Gerda) in a double-portrait (+ full length portrait)
31AA235(+3) sitting figure - AA - female human figure (+ sideview, profile)
42G2222 sisters (second degree family relationships)
41A2415 jug and basin; wash-basin

Secondary

41D211 dress, gown
41D222(COLLAR) neck-gear: collar
41D2663 ear-rings
31AA513 making up - AA - (for) women
31AA53 hairdress - AA - ~ women
41A722 couch, sofa, settee
41A7221 cushion
41A7212 armchair, seat

Research and Discussion

Provenance

Object History: ...

Eduard Simon-Wolfskehl, Frankfurt

Kunsthandlung Marcel Goldschmidt, Frankfurt

verkauft an Carl Hagemann (1867-1940), Frankfurt, 1930

Nachlass Carl Hagemann, 1940

Depositum im Städel Museum, Frankfurt, 1941

verkauft an den Städelschen Museums-Verein, Frankfurt am Main, 1959.

Information

Since 2001, the Städel Museum has systematically been researching the provenance of all objects that were acquired during the National Socialist period, or that changed owners or could have changed owners during those years. The basis for this research is the “Washington Declaration”, also known as the “Washington Conference Principles”, formulated at the 1998 “Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets” and the subsequent “Joint Declaration”.

The provenance information is based on the sources researched at the time they were published digitally. However, this information can change at any time when new sources are discovered. Provenance research is therefore a continuous process and one that is updated at regular intervals.

Ideally, the provenance information documents an object’s origins from the time it was created until the date when it found its way into the collection. It contains the following details, provided they are known: