Artwork
Three Kneeling Women (Drei Frauen knied)
Three Kneeling Women (Drei Frauen knied) is an ink print by Wilhelm Lehmbruck. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1913, *Three Kneeling Women* is a drypoint print by German artist Wilhelm Lehmbruck. The work presents three nude female figures arranged in a linear sequence, each positioned on their knees. Their bodies are elongated and twisted, with arms raised or resting and heads inclined, conveying a poised yet unsettled presence.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on the physicality and inner tension of the three women, whose kneeling postures suggest both vulnerability and resilience. By emphasizing the figures’ contorted forms and subtle gestures, Lehmbruck invites contemplation of the psychological states underlying the outward stillness, aligning the work with early twentieth‑century explorations of human emotion.
Technique & Style
Lehmbruck employed the drypoint method, incising fine lines directly into a metal plate with a sharp needle. This process yields a characteristic soft, velvety line quality that retains the immediacy of a sketch while allowing nuanced gradations of tone. The resulting marks accentuate the elongated silhouettes and convey a sense of movement within the static arrangement.
History & Provenance
Lehmbruck, primarily known for his sculpture, produced this print during a period when he was integrating realist observation with expressionist distortion.
Lehmbruck, primarily known for his sculpture, produced this print during a period when he was integrating realist observation with expressionist distortion. The piece reflects his broader artistic trajectory of the 1910s, when he explored printmaking as a means to disseminate his sculptural ideas. Its documented provenance traces back to the artist’s studio, later entering public collections focused on early modern German art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wilhelm Lehmbruck (4 January 1881 – 25 March 1919) was a German sculptor. One of the most important of his generation, he was influenced by realism and expressionism.
