Modern Artist Project-Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

18zhouh25
Oct 15, 2015
2 min read

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Biography: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was German painter and printmaker who was born on May 6, 1880 in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria and died on June 13, 1938 near Davos, Switzerland. In 1901, he studied architecture at the Dresden Technical School where he met Fritz Bleyl, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Erich Heckel. In 1905, he co-founded the artist group Die Brüke with his friends. Their goal was to form “a bridge” between classical themes of the past and the avant-garde of the 19th century. His art features bright and unnatural colors with crude and bold lines. The human figure, especially in the nude, is a recurring theme among his artworks. He shows the figures in motion to represent the vitality of the human body. He was deeply inspired by Albrecht Dürer and modernized woodblock printing with his own style. Kirchner moved to Davos, Switzerland after World War I and was victim to the Nazi’s “Degenerate Art” campaign in 1930. He became severely depressed and increasingly ill before committing suicide at the age of fifty-eight.

Art Movements: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was an active participator of Die Brüke and created a strong foundation for Expressionism in art. Henri Matisse and Edvard Munch had a part in shaping his style. Kirchner’s art focused more on the vivid contrast between colors and ideas than the actual form of his paintings or carvings. However, other pieces from him show more influence on the symbolic meaning of the featured model. For example, his painting, Street, Berlin, emphasize on the isolation and detachment of the pair of fashionable prostitutes on the street. His paintings also reveal interest in the color palettes of Fauvism and the simplistic forms of Primitive Art. The rough edges and unpainted surfaces of his woodwork show elements from Primitive Art.

He was one of the most influential Expressionist painters in Europe of his time, due to the intense emotions expressed through his paintings. Kirchner was discharged from the military in the beginning of World War I after having a nervous breakdown, and was deemed unable to fight. His experience with the war is reflected in his artworks and you can see the impact it made upon his personality. His paintings do not usually show cheerful or optimistic views upon society.

My Perspective: I really like the color contrasts and compositions of some of his works, such as his landscape paintings and street series. However, some of his paintings are just so messy and confusing and jarring that they get me upset. It also makes me a little uncomfortable that so many of his paintings feature naked women. Most of his paintings have a melancholy mood to them, which makes sense because he was depressed for a long time. His goal was to bridge the gap between classical pieces and contemporary works. I think that he achieved his goal since Die Brücke brought about Expressionism in Europe. I would not consider him my favorite artist because most of his paintings are either weird and creepy or showcase naked women.