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Lot Essay
Kirchner appears to have cut the sheet very closely to fit the length of the woodblock intending to print to the edge of the sheet at both top and bottom (see also the impression sold in these rooms, 2 December 1982, lot 101, repr. in colour). Having not centred the paper exactly, there remained a very small margin at the top and a loss of the extreme subject edge (approx. 2mm.) at the bottom right. The margins that were then added at top and bottom, presumably to balance the left and right margins, are of identical paper, probably from the same larger sheet. Owing to the uniformity of the foxing and faint light-staining of the papers, this must have been carried out at a very early stage after the inscriptions were added at the bottom of the largest sheet.
Nele and her father Henry van de Velde were first powerfully struck by Kirchner's work during an exhibition in Jena in 1916. In June 1917 Henry travelled to Davos to meet Kirchner, and there formed a life-long friendship with him. He was instrumental in the artist's return to health, having him visit his friend Dr. Ludwig Binswanger's sanatorium in Kreuzlingen, and giving him financial assistance during his early Swiss years.
Nele first visited Kirchner in February 1918 at the sanatorium where she too immediately struck up a close friendship: "Der erste Besuch war wie ein Märchen aus 1001 Nacht. Ich trat in ein Bescheidenes Zimmer. Warme strahlte mir entgegen ... Von dieser Stunde an enstand eine tiefe Freundschaft, begleiter von Gesprächen uber Kunst, Leben, Menschen und Tiere, die er so liebte". The friendship developed considerably over the few weeks that Nele remained there, and after her departure a regular correspondence ensued, each sometimes enclosing a new work - perhaps a woodcut or a drawing.
In October 1920 Nele and her mother went to spend several weeks with Kirchner during which time Nele and Kirchner spent much of the time working and discussing art and nature in the beauty of the landscape. Nele described her departure with great feeling: "Es Kam der Abschied. Kirchner brachte mich am Abend nach Hause. Am Bach, der durch die Nacht rauschte, hielten wir still. Kirchner trug einen grossen roten Lampion in den Händen, der sein Gesicht auf seltsame Weise beleuchtete. In diesem Augenblick erschien er mir wie eine elfenbeinerne Figur, aus einer anderen Welt kommend. Damals wusste ich nicht, dass ich Kirchner nicht mehr wiedersehen solte".
(See E. L. Kirchner, Briefe an Nele und Henry van de Velde, R. Piper, Munich, 1961).
Nele and her father Henry van de Velde were first powerfully struck by Kirchner's work during an exhibition in Jena in 1916. In June 1917 Henry travelled to Davos to meet Kirchner, and there formed a life-long friendship with him. He was instrumental in the artist's return to health, having him visit his friend Dr. Ludwig Binswanger's sanatorium in Kreuzlingen, and giving him financial assistance during his early Swiss years.
Nele first visited Kirchner in February 1918 at the sanatorium where she too immediately struck up a close friendship: "Der erste Besuch war wie ein Märchen aus 1001 Nacht. Ich trat in ein Bescheidenes Zimmer. Warme strahlte mir entgegen ... Von dieser Stunde an enstand eine tiefe Freundschaft, begleiter von Gesprächen uber Kunst, Leben, Menschen und Tiere, die er so liebte". The friendship developed considerably over the few weeks that Nele remained there, and after her departure a regular correspondence ensued, each sometimes enclosing a new work - perhaps a woodcut or a drawing.
In October 1920 Nele and her mother went to spend several weeks with Kirchner during which time Nele and Kirchner spent much of the time working and discussing art and nature in the beauty of the landscape. Nele described her departure with great feeling: "Es Kam der Abschied. Kirchner brachte mich am Abend nach Hause. Am Bach, der durch die Nacht rauschte, hielten wir still. Kirchner trug einen grossen roten Lampion in den Händen, der sein Gesicht auf seltsame Weise beleuchtete. In diesem Augenblick erschien er mir wie eine elfenbeinerne Figur, aus einer anderen Welt kommend. Damals wusste ich nicht, dass ich Kirchner nicht mehr wiedersehen solte".
(See E. L. Kirchner, Briefe an Nele und Henry van de Velde, R. Piper, Munich, 1961).