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Yggdrasil

ca. 1980
Not on view
In one of the Old Norse poems in the Edda, the "Ballad of Gimnir" (Gimnir is also known as Odin, chief of the gods), the universe is described as an immense ash tree, Yggdrasil. Kiefer presented himself as this tree, reusing a self-portrait from 1969 in which he wears a crocheted dress and holds a branch (die Kiefer in German refers to a type of pine tree). On top of the image he added in acrylic and gouache the tree stump and various animals associated with Yggdrasil. Encompassing themes of transformation, growth and decay, and even human evolution—all present in Kiefer’s work—Yggdrasil is an apt subject for the artist’s self-identification.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Yggdrasil
  • Artist: Anselm Kiefer (German, born Donaueschingen, 1945)
  • Date: ca. 1980
  • Medium: Opaque watercolor and acrylic on gelatin silver print
  • Dimensions: 32 1/2 x 23 1/8 in. (82.6 x 58.7 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1995
  • Object Number: 1995.14.36
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Anselm Kiefer
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

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Morgenthau Plan, Anselm Kiefer German, Acrylic, emulsion, oil, and shellac on inkjet prints mounted on canvas
Morgenthau Plan
Anselm Kiefer
2012
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom, Anselm Kiefer German, Gouache, sand, ash and charcoal on two torn and pasted photographs
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom
Anselm Kiefer
2000
Autumn Forest, Anselm Kiefer German, Watercolor, opaque watercolor, and graphite on papers
Autumn Forest
Anselm Kiefer
1970
Wild Emperor, Anselm Kiefer German, Watercolor and acrylic on paper
Wild Emperor
Anselm Kiefer
1975
Brünnhilde's Death, Anselm Kiefer German, India ink, watercolor, and acrylic on joined paper
Brünnhilde's Death
Anselm Kiefer
1976

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