This linked series of explicitly sexual engravings was made in Berlin in 1912–13, at a time when Kirchner’s love life was closely tied to two young women who became central to both his emotional world and his artistic development – Erna Schilling and, to a lesser extent, her sister Gerda. Erna, a dancer and cabaret performer, met Kirchner in late 1911., and their relationship quickly became a long-term partnership, intense, complicated, and deeply interwoven with Kirchner’s work. Erna provided not just sexual and emotional companionship, but also practical stability during a turbulent period of urban overstimulation and artistic ambition. She modelled for him constantly, appearing in numerous drawings, prints, and paintings: Kirchner was drawn to her independence and Bohemian background, while Erna adapted to his volatile temperament and growing psychological struggles.

Erna’s sister Gerda, also a dancer, worked more as a model than a sexual partner, though Kirchner was captivated by her presence. She appears frequently in his work, embodying the allure and danger of the modern metropolis. Kirchner’s Berlin life was shaped by a blend of intimacy, artistic collaboration, and the charged atmosphere of the city, a combination that left a vivid imprint on his work from this period, especially in these engravings.