Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Lise Gujer

Acquired by the present owner in 1955

Munich, Galerie Otto Stangl, E. L. Kirchner. Weberei, Graphik, Plastik, 1953, no. 9
Davos, Kirchner Museum, Die Pracht der Farben. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Textile Werke nach seinen Entwürfen, 1999, no. 25
Karlsruhe, Badisches Landesmuseum, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Lise Gujer. Textile Bilder, 2000

Eberhard W. Kornfeld, Textilarbeiten nach Entwürfen von E. L. Kirchner der Davoser Jahre. Werkverzeichnis, Bern, 1999, no. 23, illustrated p. 61

The colours on the face of the tapestry are all gently faded overall and some of the original colours are slightly different. The original colours are visible on the reverse, as the tapestry is not lined. Tapestry technique, with interlocking at colour changes, clearly visible on the reverse as a ridge. Within the tapestry there are some bobbles of wool showing in minor areas, where thicker wool has been used and left on the front, intentionally, rather than pulled to the back. Some minor tension lines as tucks, for example top left and centre right near edges. There are original macramé – knotted fringes – at both ends. The panel tapers and is slightly narrow across the lower end in width, and is slightly irregular along the sides, as visible in the photograph. Original selvedges, with some additional overcasting, and some minor areas of wear, and stable overall. The buttons of Pierrot are supplementary hand embroidery and worked in dark brown threads, over the interlocking tapestry ground below. There is a narrow wooden batten within narrow sleeve across the width at the top for hanging purposes. In overall gently faded and in stable condition. This is a very decorative panel of charming subject matter and of a versatile size.
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Pierrot und Colombine is a tapestry crafted by Lise Gujer with whom Kirchner closely collaborated from 1922. Together they explored the potential of the medium and translated Kirchner’s designs into dynamic fabric compositions. Reportedly, Lise Gujer bought a loom and took up the craft especially for Kirchner, a decision which was to shape the rest of her career. Gujer continued to work on the loom even after the artist’s death, still strongly influenced by his visual language. Prior to her death in 1967 Gujer sealed Kirchner’s designs by decree for 30 years in order to protect their unique style. This period of safe keeping concluded with the exhibition Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Lise Gujer. Textile Bilder at the Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe in 2000, which presented the products of the fruitful collaboration almost in its entirety. The present work was part of this landmark exhibition.