The Deshengmen city gate in Beijing, ERICH KIPS, Approx. 1928 by Atelier Liesjes

About "The Deshengmen city gate in Beijing, ERICH KIPS, Approx. 1928"

by Atelier Liesjes

About the artwork

Deshengmen "Gate of virtuous triumph" is a city gate that was once part of the northern city wall of Beijing.

The original gate complex, built in 1437, consisted of three buildings: the gatehouse, the archery tower and the Barbican. They overlook the northern city canal and have an exhibition on ancient coins inside.

Deshengmen is now an important transport hub in the north of Beijing. The gate complex is surrounded by the Deshengmen Bridge, a rotating viaduct that directs traffic from the 2nd ring road to the Badaling Expressway. The street that once passed through the gate is still named after it. South of Deshengmen and within the old city wall lies Deshengmen Inner Street. In the north it is called Deshengmen Outer Street.

In traditional times the imperial army marched out of Beijing via Deshengmen and returned via Andingmen, the gate of peace and stability.

Erich Kips (17 January 1869 in Berlin, Germany, 26 September 1945) was a German painter. In 1889 Erich Kips studied painting at the art academy in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg.

Erich Kips was active as a figure painter at the beginning of his career. As a genre painter he also made many allegorical representations and later devoted himself intensively to landscape painting and cityscapes, especially harbour and marine subjects. Murals and graphics are also part of his work.