Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Sleeping Milly

• Title: Sleeping Milly (Schlafende Milly)
• Artist: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938)
• Date: 1911
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: ?

In "Sleeping Milly", Kirchner presents a reclining nude woman who is black, Milly, in a state of deep slumber. Her huge smile in her sleep with her mouth open exudes a sense of happiness and fun. The woman is depicted with elongated limbs, angular features, and large breasts and buttocks. Her body is rendered with vibrant hues and dynamic brushstrokes, creating a sense of movement and vitality.

The setting of the painting is ambiguous, with abstracted shapes and patterns suggesting a domestic interior. Kirchner's use of bold colors and geometric forms imbues the scene with a sense of psychological intensity and emotional depth. In the background a nude white woman seems to taking a shower. It can be construed the two women just shared in some sexual activity, whcih would explain the smile born by Milly.