Palmsonntag [Palm Sunday]
About this artwork
'Palmsonntag (Palm Sunday)' refers to the Biblical story of Christ’s journey into Jerusalem shortly before his arrest and execution, when worshippers laid palm leaves in his path. Kiefer’s recent installation comprises thirty paintings featuring palm fronds and stems, alongside a palm tree cast in resin. As the prelude towards Christ’s eventual death, the story symbolises for the artist, the moment between triumph and destruction. Laid on the gallery floor, the fallen tree echoes the body of Christ before his resurrection, suggesting both mortality and eventual renewal.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Anselm KieferGerman (born 1945)
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title:Palmsonntag [Palm Sunday]
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date created:2006
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materials:Palm tree and 43 works on fibreboard with clay, paint, shellac, adhesive, metal, palm fronds, fabric and paper
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measurements:Overall display dimensions variable
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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 the Art Fund 2008
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accession number:AR00038
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Anselm Kiefer
Anselm Kiefer
The German artist Anselm Kiefer gained prominence in 1969 with a series of photographs called 'Occupations', in which he was pictured giving the Nazi salute in various locations in Europe. This was Kiefer's first attempt to deal with Germany's recent cultural and political history, an ongoing theme...