Die Tauben II (The Deaf II) (in-text plate) from mock-up of Georg Heym: Umbra Vitae (Georg Heym: Shadow of Life)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

National Gallery of Art

The image is a woodcut illustration depicting five human figures. Four figures are visible from the waist up, and one is seated and shown entirely. The standing figures appear to be gathered around the seated one, slightly leaning towards them. Their facial features are exaggerated and angular, with prominent noses and simplified expressions, and their hair appears stylized with sharp lines and shapes. They are wearing long, flowing garments that resemble robes. The seated figure is bent forward slightly. In the background, there is a window with a distinct rectangular shape and what could be the outline of a sixth person seen waving outside the window. There are no visible jewelry or objects held. The background includes linear patterns typical of woodcut art. The entire illustration is framed on the page, which contains a poem in a Gothic-style script above the image.