About this artwork
Beuys's use of the term 'actresses' in his drawings of women makes reference to the idea of performance, in the same way as the artist created the persona of a shaman for himself. Indeed, in some of his performances ('actions') Beuys assumed the role of the female principle. This drawing is dominated by three upright female figures who stride confidently across the image, with the body of a naked woman, drawn in pencil, forming a backdrop. Although there are four figures on the page, each one is isolated from the others and not individualised in any way – a typical feature of Beuys's depictions of women in the 1950s.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986) German
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title:Aktricen [Actresses]
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date created:1958
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materials:Graphite and watercolour on paper
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measurements:20.70 x 29.00 cm
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object type:
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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
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accession number:AR00105
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gallery:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys
German artist Beuys believed that art was integral to everyday life. According to Beuys his own art was shaped by an experience early in his life. As a Luftwaffe pilot during the war, he claimed that he was shot down over the Crimea and was saved by nomadic Tartars. Barely alive, he was wrapped in...