Apocalyptic Landscape

Ludwig MeidnerWW-1914-136408

1914·Pen and black ink, over graphite, on cream tracing paper, laid down on off-white wove paper·52 × 37.2 cm (20 1/2 × 14 11/16 in.)

<p>Here Ludwig Meidner depicted the ruptured landscapes of Germany in anticipation of the destruction of World War I. The energetic line work, so intense that the paper is torn in places from the aggressive movement of the pen, highlights the anxious and troubled vision Meidner had of the future. Bodies and land are indistinguishable: everything is wounded and confused. Meidner also captured the newly industrialized landscape of the modern city and its alienating forces: the city is a towering structure from which its inhabitants seek refuge.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1914
Medium: Pen and black ink, over graphite, on cream tracing paper, laid down on off-white wove paper
Dimensions: 52 × 37.2 cm (20 1/2 × 14 11/16 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Ludwig Meidner

Artist

Ludwig Meidner

Painting

Painter and printmaker Ludwig Meidner was born in Bernstadt, Germany (today Bierutów, Poland), in 1884. As a young man, following the advice of his parents, he undertook an apprenticeship with a stonemason, but eventually left his position to study at the Königliche Kunstschule (Royal School of Art) in Breslau (now Wroclaw) for about two years beginning in 1903, before ultimately relocating to Berlin. Here, he established a career as a draftsman, and commonly garnered work as a fashion illustrator. He spent a brief time living in Paris, between 1906–07, where he took classes at the Académie Julian, and met and befriended fellow artist Amedeo Modigliani.

Frankfurt

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