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Wild Emperor

1975
Not on view
The limestone massif of the Kaiser mountain range in the Austrian Alps is composed of two ridge peaks, the higher of which is called Wilder Kaiser (Wild Emperor). Kiefer chose to represent the Wilder Kaiser with white acrylic emulsion primer that rises in relief from the center of the watercolor ground. Perhaps he is implying a conceptual, if not exactly chemical, connection between the limestone of the Kaiser range, the traditional chalky art material gesso, and the synthetic "gesso" substitute he used to shape his mountain. In this little drawing, Kiefer adheres to the idea that a very big subject—whether cultural or geological, such as the Alps—is often best rendered in a small format.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Wild Emperor
  • Artist: Anselm Kiefer (German, born Donaueschingen, 1945)
  • Date: 1975
  • Medium: Watercolor and acrylic on paper
  • Dimensions: 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (16.5 x 24.1 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Molly and Walter Bareiss Gift, 1995
  • Object Number: 1995.14.11
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Anselm Kiefer
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

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Morgenthau Plan, Anselm Kiefer German, Acrylic, emulsion, oil, and shellac on inkjet prints mounted on canvas
Morgenthau Plan
Anselm Kiefer
2012
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom, Anselm Kiefer German, Gouache, sand, ash and charcoal on two torn and pasted photographs
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom
Anselm Kiefer
2000
Autumn Forest, Anselm Kiefer German, Watercolor, opaque watercolor, and graphite on papers
Autumn Forest
Anselm Kiefer
1970
Brünnhilde's Death, Anselm Kiefer German, India ink, watercolor, and acrylic on joined paper
Brünnhilde's Death
Anselm Kiefer
1976
Essence/Ex-sistence, Anselm Kiefer German, Watercolor and opaque watercolor on paper
Essence/Ex-sistence
Anselm Kiefer
1975

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