Joseph Beuys

Stark beleuchteter Hirschstuhl [Brightly-Lit Stag Chair]

About this artwork

Although Beuys began this collage in 1957, it was not finished until 1971. The chair is similar to the subject of the artist's 1972 sculpture 'Backrest for a fine-limbed person (Hare-type) of the 20th Century A.D'. This is a cast iron impression of a child's plaster corset, made as a multiple. However, the striding feet of the chair in this collage give it a human aspect, making it seem almost confident and self-possessed. The curved back of the chair is echoed in the lightbulb shape at the top of the image. The stag, in Beuys's bestiary, guided the soul in its journey to the afterlife.

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986) German
  • title:
    Stark beleuchteter Hirschstuhl [Brightly-Lit Stag Chair]
  • date created:
    1957 - 1971
  • materials:
    2 works on paper, oil paint, graphite and masking tape
  • measurements:
    139.50 x 96.30 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00697
  • gallery:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys