Envelope, tempera, graphite and pin on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
ARTIST ROOMS
National Heritage Memorial Fund
Art Fund
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/joseph-beuys-747" aria-label="More by Joseph Beuys" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Joseph Beuys</a>
Probe in bloodstream oak
ARTIST ROOMS
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
abstraction
afterlife - deer
animals: mammals
architectural plan / elevation
architecture
birth to death
body
church
cities, towns, villages (non-UK)
countries and continents
deer
defacement
emotions, concepts and ideas
envelope
figure
formal qualities
from recognisable sources
Germany
gestural
heart
inscriptions
Lübeck, Sacred Heart Church
objects
people
places
reading, writing, printed matter
religious
symbols and personifications
texture
paper unique envelope tempera graphite pin
Probe in the bloodstream of the oak
support: 238 × 532 mm
frame: 680 × 525 × 48 mm
<a href="/search?gid=999999788" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">ARTIST ROOMS</a>
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the <a href="/search?gid=999999967" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">National Heritage Memorial Fund</a> and the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 2008
<p>The area of blood-red paint at the centre of this collage is reminiscent of the heart, man's power source, anticipating the artist's later work with sources of energy. Although the red is tempera paint, Beuys did paint with hare's blood in some drawings. On the reverse of the paper, faintly seen from this side, is an architectural drawing of the Catholic Church in Lübeck, a northern German city. The elk or stag appears in many of Beuys's drawings and, according to myth, represented a spirit guide.</p>

Online caption
2009-04-16T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
abstraction afterlife - deer animals: mammals architectural plan / elevation architecture birth to death body church cities, towns, villages (non-UK) countries and continents deer defacement emotions, concepts and ideas envelope figure formal qualities from recognisable sources Germany gestural heart inscriptions Lübeck, Sacred Heart Church objects people places reading, writing, printed matter religious symbols and personifications texture