Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Expressionist Legacy
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, a founder of Die Brücke and key figure in German Expressionism, produced works that survived Nazi condemnation. His art rejected Impressionism, reworking motifs like ballerinas. Influenced by Matisse, Munch, Dürer, and African/Polynesian art, Kirchner developed a raw palette with flat colors. He focused on street scenes, circus performers, and erotic themes, earning recognition as an Expressionist city painter.
Key facts
- Kirchner was a founder of Die Brücke.
- His work was deemed degenerate by Nazis in the 1930s.
- He rejected Impressionism as bourgeois.
- He was influenced by Matisse, Munch, Dürer, and African/Polynesian art.
- He painted street scenes (Strassenszenen) after Die Brücke dissolved in 1913.
- His subjects included circus artists, cabaret dancers, and sex workers.
- Works mentioned: Self-Portrait in Studio (1913-1915), Six Dancers (1911), Sand Hills at Grünau (1917-1918), Two Streetwalkers (1910s).
- His works are held at Kirchner Museum Davos and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Entities
Artists
- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Henri Matisse
- Edvard Munch
- Albrecht Dürer
Institutions
- Die Brücke
- Kirchner Museum Davos
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Locations
- Davos
- Switzerland
- Richmond
- VA
- USA
- Grünau