The Mark on the Mirror Breathing Makes
Original Language Titleden der Atemhauch schafft
Artist
Dieter Appelt
(German, born 1935)
Date1977; printed 2001
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage and sheet: 20 × 23 3/4 inches (50.8 × 60.33 cm)
Framed: 21 × 24 3/4 × 1 5/8 inches (53.34 × 62.87 × 4.13 cm)
Framed: 21 × 24 3/4 × 1 5/8 inches (53.34 × 62.87 × 4.13 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Object number2008.41.1
SignedSigned on frame backing board, lower right corner, in black pen: "Appelt 1977/2001"
InscribedOn frame backing board, lower right corner, in black pen: "Der Fleck auf dem Spiegel, den der Atemhauch Schafft"
MarkingsArtist's stamp on frame backing board, lower right corner, in black ink: "10623 Berlin / TEL 03013127514 / FAX 03013127514 / GARMERSTRASSE 19; APPELT © / no, e.u.";
On frame backing board, lower right corner, in pencil: "POB05135";
Stamp on frame backing board, lower left corner, in black ink: "Rahmen Salon / Garten str. 113 / 10115 Berlin / Tel. 030-81 01 71 71 / Fax 030-81 01 71 72"
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionImage of a man (self-portrait of the artist) with short hair and beard facing a mirror; a circle of condensation from his breath appears on his reflection in the mirror.Exhibition HistoryMagnificent Gifts for the 75th. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, February 13 - April 4, 2010, no cat.
Rotation 15. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, June 19, 2013 – January 5, 2014, no cat.
Rotation 20.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, October 18, 2015 – February
28, 2016, no cat.
Dieter Appelt, who also works in film, performance and conceptual art, has explored the relationship of the artist to his physical and cultural space since the late 1950s. He is particularly interested in investigating the language of photography as a medium and in using the medium to see beyond mere representation. He has also worked extensively with self-portraiture (at least until the 1980s). In this image, one of his most well-known, Appelt makes a mark to “erase himself,” by breathing onto a mirror, thereby obscuring his own reflection—an act that addresses the theme of human existence and its transience.
Copyright© Dieter Appelt / Courtesy Kicken Berlin
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information,
is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete.
Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a
particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum.
If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image,
please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.
