ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER’S OFFICER AND WAITRESS, 1915

This year, we invite you to play a vital role in shaping the future of the NGV Collection by supporting the acquisition of Officer and waitress (Offizier und Kellnerin) 1915, a powerful masterpiece by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

This represents an extraordinary opportunity to deepen our holdings of early twentieth century European modern art with an important painting that encapsulates Kirchner’s artistic style. Every donation makes a lasting impact, and we are deeply grateful for your generosity towards this important acquisition.


“A leader of his generation, Kirchner contributed enormously to early twentieth century European art. Officer and waitress 1915, created during a defining moment in the artist’s life and career, captures the vivid colour, bold composition and emotional intensity that characterise the German Expressionist movement.”

Tony Ellwood AM
Director, NGV


If you would like further information about supporting this acquisition, please contact the NGV Foundation team on
+61 3 8620 2415 or
ngv.foundation@ngv.vic.gov.au.

The NGV warmly thanks the following supporters who have made leadership gifts to help secure this significant work:

Leadership Gifts
John and Lorraine Bates
Donors to the 2025 NGV Foundation Annual Dinner
Donors to the 2025 NGV Annual Appeal

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born in Germany in 1880 and is recognised as a leading figure in the development of German Expressionism. A founding member of the influential artist group Die Brücke (The Bridge), Kirchner played a pivotal role in shaping modernist art in early twentieth century Europe.

Die Brücke’s manifesto of 1906 declared that ‘we want to achieve freedom of life and action against the well-established older forces’. While determined to be resolutely bold and modern in their approach to art, the group also respected and drew influence from the art of the past. The meaning of their name, ‘The Bridge’, symbolised this fusion of old and new in their shared artistic vision.

Kirchner worked across multiple disciplines and fused influences of folk art and contemporary bohemian life. Characterised by his depth of colour and a desire to break free from the traditional confines of art, Kirchner’s work vividly captures the tension and liberation from this challenging time in his young life. Today, he is celebrated for his innovative style and lasting contribution to German Expressionism.

ABOUT THE WORK

Officer and waitress is a compelling painting created during a deeply formative period in Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s life and career. Painted during a time of convalescence after his release from military service in 1915, the work reflects the inner world of the artist and his experience of the First World War.

Depicting a lunch celebrating his departure from military life, the soldier with his back to the viewer at the left of Kirchner’s painting is considered to be Hans Fehr, the riding instructor credited for instigating Kirchner’s discharge from active service. Fehr, also a professor and patron of several artists of the period, has invited Kirchner to enjoy a meal celebrating his release, which is being delivered by a white-capped and aproned waitress. At the right of the composition, Kirchner himself enters through a doorway. 

The composition invites viewers into Kirchner’s personal experience, offering a poignant lens through which to consider the upheavals of early twentieth century Europe. Officer and waitress, showcases the expressive forms characteristic of German Expressionism, with its uplifting green and violet palette, and celebrates, for a brief moment, Kirchner’s liberation from this challenging time in his young life.

In the years that followed, Kirchner’s work and that of fellow German Expressionists was condemned by the Nazi regime, labelled a ‘degenerate artist’, and many of his paintings were tragically lost during the Second World War.

STRENGTHENING THE NGV COLLECTION

Officer and waitress is one of a small number of paintings produced by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner following his experience of the First World War, and it serves as a tender recognition of the officer who assisted in his discharge from military service in 1915.

A leader of the German Expressionist movement and a pioneer of modern art in Europe, this important painting would join Great dancing pair, 1923 by Erich Heckel, with whom Kirchner shared a close bond and founded the Die Brücke (The Bridge) art movement alongside two other students, Fritz Bleyl and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff in 1905.

Through the support of our community, we have an unprecedented opportunity to display these seminal paintings together and share the stories of artists who made possible a transformative and historically rich period of art.

As the Gallery embraces a future of growing audiences, ambitious exhibitions and dynamic programming, our responsibility to reflect the full breadth of artistic voices becomes ever more vital. With your continued support, we are able to make historically significant acquisitions that enrich the NGV Collection, a collection that is free for everyone to access and enjoy.

Donna McColm
Assistant Director, Curatorial and Audience Engagement

DONATE TODAY

We warmly welcome donations of any amount and thank you for considering a donation to ensure this work will remain in the NGV Collection for visitors to enjoy now and into the future.

All donations of $2 or over are tax deductible.

If you would like further information about supporting this acquisition, please contact the NGV Foundation team:
+61 3 8620 2415
ngv.foundation@ngv.vic.gov.au

Donate online

Payment Methods

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Bank Westpac Banking Corporation
Account Name Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria – Donations
BSB 033 009
Account Number 621 445

Please quote AA2025 and your surname on the electronic transfer and provide your details either by email (ngv.foundation@ngv.vic.gov.au) or by phoning the NGV Foundation on +61 3 8620 2415 so that we can acknowledge your donation.

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Please call the NGV Foundation on +61 3 8620 2415 and we can process your donation over the phone, or post out a donation form.

Mail

NGV Foundation
National Gallery of Victoria
PO Box 7259
MELBOURNE VIC 3004