Who painted Peasant and Girl?

Peasant and Girl was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1921.

Where can I see Peasant and Girl?

Peasant and Girl is held by National Gallery of Art.

Artwork

Peasant and Girl

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1921

Peasant and Girl is an ink print by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner produced the color etching *Peasant and Girl* in 1921. Executed with the limited palette of black, red and blue, the work presents a compact interior scene that contrasts a seated peasant figure with a standing young woman. The composition is rendered in quick, sketch‑like lines that give the image a sense of immediacy.

Subject & Meaning

The print shows a rustic man, arms folded across his chest, seated on a simple chair, while a girl in a dark blue garment stands nearby. The man's attire, rendered in a vivid red‑brown hue, dominates the visual field, suggesting a focus on his presence. The blurred facial features and sparse surroundings hint at an anonymous, perhaps universal, portrayal of rural life.

Technique & Style

Kirchner employed a multicolored etching process, carving separate plates for black, red and blue inks and then printing them in succession. The lines are loose and gestural, characteristic of his expressionist approach, emphasizing texture and movement over precise detail. The limited chromatic scheme heightens the contrast between the figures and the dimly suggested interior.

History & Provenance

Created shortly after Kirchner’s return to Germany from Switzerland, the etching entered the market during a period of artistic experimentation. In the 1930s the work, like many of Kirchner’s pieces, fell victim to Nazi condemnation; over six hundred of his works were either sold under duress or destroyed in 1937, though the specific fate of this print is not recorded.

Context

Kirchner was a founding member of Die Brücke, a collective that sought to break with academic conventions and express raw emotional states. *Peasant and Girl* reflects the group’s interest in everyday subjects rendered with bold color and vigorous line, aligning with the broader currents of early‑20th‑century German Expressionism.