Who painted Woman Putting on Her Shoes?

Woman Putting on Her Shoes was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1912.

Where can I see Woman Putting on Her Shoes?

Woman Putting on Her Shoes is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Can I buy a print of Woman Putting on Her Shoes?

Museum-quality prints of Woman Putting on Her Shoes are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Woman Putting on Her Shoes

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1912

Woman Putting on Her Shoes is a print by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1912 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1912, this woodcut by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner captures a solitary woman seated on a chair as she slips on a shoe. The composition is rendered in the stark, simplified forms typical of early German Expressionism, emphasizing the quiet concentration of the figure rather than narrative detail.

Subject & Meaning

The work presents an intimate domestic moment: a woman with dark hair, dressed in a simple dress and scarf, bends her right leg to fasten a shoe. Her neutral expression and focused posture convey a sense of private routine, inviting viewers to contemplate everyday gestures as sites of personal attention.

Technique & Style

Kirchner employed the woodcut medium, carving bold lines and flat areas of color that create a graphic intensity. The background consists of abstract shapes and intersecting lines, reinforcing the flatness of the picture plane while the strong contrasts highlight the figure’s silhouette, a hallmark of the artist’s expressive visual language.

History & Provenance

As a founding member of the avant‑garde group Die Brücke, Kirchner produced this print during the height of his involvement with the movement, which sought to break from academic conventions. The piece reflects the group’s emphasis on raw emotional content and has been documented in several early 20th‑century exhibitions of German Expressionist prints.