Who painted Wife of Professor Schaxel?

Wife of Professor Schaxel was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1918.

Where can I see Wife of Professor Schaxel?

Wife of Professor Schaxel is held by National Gallery of Art.

Can I buy a print of Wife of Professor Schaxel?

Museum-quality prints of Wife of Professor Schaxel are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Wife of Professor Schaxel

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1918

Wife of Professor Schaxel is an ink print by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner produced the woodcut *Wife of Professor Schaxel* in 1918. Executed in black ink on paper, the print presents two intertwined figures rendered with stark, jagged lines that emphasize contrast rather than gradation. The composition is confined to bold outlines and open spaces, creating a stark, immediate visual impact.

Subject & Meaning

The work portrays the spouse of Professor August Schaxel, a member of Kirchner’s personal acquaintances. By intertwining the figures, the image suggests a close, perhaps intimate relationship, while the lack of facial detail and the chaotic tangle convey a sense of emotional turbulence reflective of the artist’s own unsettled circumstances at the time.

Technique & Style

Kirchner employed traditional woodcut methods, carving the design into a wood block and printing it with a single layer of black ink. The resulting lines are uneven and angular, reminiscent of metal scratches, and the absence of tonal shading forces the viewer to read the image through stark silhouette and negative space, hallmarks of his expressionist approach.

History & Provenance

Created during the final year of World War I, the print emerges from a period marked by personal strain for Kirchner and broader political upheaval in Germany. It was produced after his involvement with Die Brücke, the avant‑garde group that helped define early 20th‑century Expressionism, and remains documented within his print oeuvre from that era.

Context

*Wife of Professor Schaxel* belongs to Kirchner’s late‑war output, when his work increasingly turned to stark graphic media and more personal subject matter. The piece reflects the broader expressionist tendency to foreground emotional intensity over realistic representation, aligning with the movement’s rejection of academic conventions.