Two Peasant Heads

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.

1919–1920

Health mends, exhibitions multiply

In 1919–1920 Kirchner’s health improved markedly: he was still dependent on morphine, but his doctor was slowly reducing the doses, and several exhibitions in Germany and Switzerland in 1920 strengthened his reputation. He grew close to the local farmers, who were amazed by his gramophone, and found many subjects among them.

c. 1920

Reviewing his own art under a pseudonym

To control public opinion of him and free himself from dependence on the art critics, Kirchner began writing critiques of his own art under the pseudonym Louis de Marsalle.

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.