Oil paint and watercolour 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>
Pregnant Woman with Swan
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
adults
animals: birds
birth to death
emotions, concepts and ideas
female
figure
formal qualities
from recognisable sources
nudes
people
pregnancy
procreation
silhouette
society
swan
woman
paper unique oil paint watercolour
4 July 2009 – 27 September 2009
2009-09-27
4 July 2009 – 27 September 2009
2009-09-27
2009-07-04
De La Warr Pavilion (Bexhill on Sea, UK)
http://www.dlwp.com/
2009-07-04
ARTIST ROOMS 2009: Joseph Beuys
Loan-out
1 April 2010 – 27 September 2010
2010-09-27
1 April 2010 – 27 September 2010
2010-09-27
2010-04-01
Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery (Glasgow, UK)
http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk
2010-04-01
ARTIST ROOMS 2010: Joseph Beuys
Loan-out
22 March 2013 – 23 June 2013
2013-06-23
22 March 2013 – 7 July 2013
2013-07-07
2013-03-22
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Middlesbrough, UK)
http://www.visitmima.com/
2013-03-22
Tracing the Century
Loan-out
13 October 2017 – 21 January 2018
2018-01-21
13 October 2017 – 21 January 2018
2018-01-21
2017-10-13
Leeds Art Gallery (Leeds, UK)
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/artgallery/
2017-10-13
ARTIST ROOMS 2017: Joseph Beuys
Loan-out
3 May 2023 – 6 August 2023
2023-08-06
3 May 2023 – 6 August 2023
2023-08-06
2023-05-03
Nasjonalmuseet (Oslo, Norway)
2023-05-03
Louise Bourgeois: Imaginary Conversations
Loan-out
Pregnant Woman with Swan
support: 276 × 214 mm
frame: 674 × 540 × 29 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 tiny swan in this painting looks as if it is swimming serenely inside the woman, replacing the foetus inside her pregnant body. The drawing combines male and female elements, with the phallic nature of the swan's neck. Beuys had been fascinated with swans since childhood. A sculpture of a large golden swan sat on top of the tower of Schwanenburg castle (Swan Castle) in his home town of Cleves, and was visible from his bedroom window while he was growing up. With his interest in language, the artist would also have delighted in the similarity between the German words for pregnant woman (Schwangere) and swan (Schwan).</p>

Online caption
2009-04-16T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
abstraction adults animals: birds birth to death emotions, concepts and ideas female figure formal qualities from recognisable sources nudes people pregnancy procreation silhouette society swan woman