Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Archive

Numerous international exhibitions on Kirchner and Expressionism have been organized since the 1980s with the help of the archive. It not only provides an overview of the complete works but also offers the largest possible number of high-quality and, above all, color reproductions. Only through this can the significance of a work—otherwise known only through a small-format black-and-white reproduction—often be fully grasped, allowing it work be work as a good alternative to work desired work that may not be available.

The Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Archive in Wichtrach maintains ongoing collaboration with the archive of the Kirchner Museum Davos.

The archive faces a time-consuming but necessary task in connection with exhibitions: determining the locations of works and facilitating loan requests to private collectors, which are forwarded along with a cover letter. However, the exhibiting institution always decides which works will be displayed. Only upon request does the archive act as an intermediary or offer alternative suggestions in the event of a refusal.

To organize its work and avoid excessive competition among individual exhibitions for loaned works, the archive maintains a continuously updated list of all planned exhibitions on Kirchner and Expressionism, so that it can advise public institutions accordingly.

Pinakothek der Modern art, exhibition "Farbenmensch Kirchner" , 2014
(Photo: Jens Weber, bfgest.de)

In principle, what has just been said about the exhibitions also applies to publications on Kirchner and Expressionism. For these as well, a comprehensive overview of the work is work great importance to ensure that the same works are not repeatedly reproduced and described. This is because the most significant works are often held in collections that are difficult to access and therefore remain largely unknown even today.

The dossiers on Kirchner’s individual works in the documentation also provide complete bibliographic details for each work the relevant books or essays are located in the library in the same room. This makes the work considerably easier for everyone working in the archive. For organizational reasons, however, this opportunity can only be extended to a few scholars. (So far, the principle has been “from the dissertation level upward.”) Just as the archive is responsible for facilitating access to the works in the context of exhibitions, it also has the task of facilitating access to photographic materials from the owners of the works in the context of publications. The archive can provide its own photographs only to a limited extent—namely, only with regard to the gallery’s holdings and, to some extent, the estate. The Bolliger-Ketterer photo archive maintained here provides high-quality prints of the photographs that Kirchner took himself. The Kirchner Museum Davos now also provides these—in some cases in higher quality—specifically for those photographs whose negatives are preserved there.

An example is the publication *Unzertrennlich. Rahmen und Bilder Brücke (Inseparable: Frames and Images of Brücke , edited by Werner Murrer, Lisa Marei Schmidt, and Daniel J. Schreiber, Koenig Books, London, 2020.

Inseparable. Frames and pictures of the Brücke artists

The impetus for compiling the documentation on the complete works in its current form was a sudden uncertainty regarding the assessment of questions of authenticity around 1980. It became apparent at that time that, no matter how thoroughly one knew the works, it was simply no longer possible to resolve the pending questions of authenticity relying solely on memory. What was needed was the largest possible number of constantly available reference examples—that is, as many sorted illustrations as possible. This initially led to the creation of a documentation project focused primarily on the uncataloged drawings, pastels, and watercolors. This ultimately gave rise to the archive of the complete works, with the task of incorporating all emerging information regarding each work.

Since then, questions of authenticity have been addressed with the aid of all available comparative examples and other information. In cases of doubt, this is done in collaboration with other Kirchner experts. With regard to questions of authenticity, the archive not only responds to requests but also takes proactive action when suspicion arises. Naturally, the latter has not only earned the archive friends, nor has its strictly upheld principle: “In doubt, against the accused” (since we are dealing with objects, not people). Photo certificates are issued only after the original work has been presented to the archive—for at least one week.

Inquirers will be sent information regarding this. Comprehensive information is provided in cases that are beyond any doubt, even without the original being presented. Inquirers must submit all information in writing and mail the work in question work the archive—do not bring it in person; telephone and in-person conversations should be kept to an absolute minimum to avoid misunderstandings. Conversely, it is absolutely necessary and self-evident that, in this regard, the archive’s activities be separated from those of the gallery, which also manages the estate in a commercial capacity. This means that a work whose authenticity is or has been in question is off-limits to the gallery.

This strategy has meant that—unlike many other artists of his generation and other Expressionists (not to mention some modern artists from non-German-speaking regions)—questions of authenticity regarding Kirchner’s work can, as far as human judgment is concerned, be considered settled.

Of course, Kirchner forgeries and false attributions are also archived and organized by theme.

Signed drawing by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner