Katze

1917–1918

The Bellevue Sanatorium in Kreuzlingen

At the end of August 1917 Kirchner was visited once more by Henry van de Velde, through whose good offices he was admitted to Ludwig Binswanger’s Bellevue Sanatorium in Kreuzlingen, where he went on painting and making woodcuts.

1918

Moves to the “In den Lärchen” farm in Davos

In 1918 Kirchner received a residence permit and moved to the “In den Lärchen” farm above Längmatte in Davos — first renting a room in the upper hut, and in 1919 the rooms above — and furnished it with furniture he carved himself; he wrote to Henry van de Velde of a beautiful old Grisons house with a kitchen like Rembrandt’s studio.

1921

A large exhibition in Berlin

In 1921 a major display of Kirchner’s work was held in Berlin, and the reviews were favourable.

May 1921

Meets the dancer Nina Hard

At the beginning of May 1921, in Zurich, Kirchner met Nina Hard and, despite Erna’s objections, invited her to Frauenkirch; the dancer became an important model and appears in many of his works.

1923

A large exhibition in Basel

In 1923 Kirchner organised a large exhibition of his work in Basel.

1923

Moves to the Wildboden house

In 1923 Kirchner moved to the Wildboden house, which looked over Frauenkirch and the Stafelalp on one side and Davos on the other; these landscapes became subjects of many of his paintings. In his diary he called the house a joy and a turning point of his life.