Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938)
A Brief History
 Born in Aschaffenburg, Germany
 Originally an architect, Kirchner had rejected the traditional style at the time that was taught in the academy, instead opting for a more spontaneous method of expression
 He later became an expressionistic painter, printmaker, and sculptor who was one of the three founders of Die Brücke
(the others being Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, and Karl
Schmidt-Rottluff)
The Drinker (self
portrait), 1915.
Oil on canvas o Expressionists were characterized by how they use colour and technique to communicate emotions to the viewer
 During the rise of Hitler, the Nazis considered Kirchner’s art pieces
“degenerate”. He had grown distressed due to the situation in Germany and took his own life as a result
Artist Influences
 While he had claimed he had none, the influences that Vincent van Gogh and
Edvard Munch had on his art style are apparent, in terms of expressive colour choice
 Fauvism was also an influence to his art, which is apparent with his brushstrokes
 The discovery of ‘primitive’ art coming from Africa and Polynesia caused him to simplify his form and brighten his colors
Characteristics
 Human figure was central; Kirchner thought that the study of human anatomy “in a free, natural state” was “the foundation of all visual art” o Commonly depicted the figure in action
 Bright, highly contrasting colours
 Simplified forms
 Jagged outlines on his forms
 Agitated and slashing brushstrokes
Street, Dresden, 1908 (reworked 1919, dated 1907). Oil on canvas
 During this time, Kirchner lived in Dresden
 In a letter to fellow Die Brücke member, Erich
Heckel, he writes to him about the crowds in
Dresden, saying “Completely strange faces pop up as interesting points through the crowd. I am carried along with the current, lacking will. To move becomes an unacceptable effort.”

Street, Dresden, 1908 (reworked 1919, dated 1907). Oil on canvas (cont.)
 Kirchner made the colors brighter and made the people’s faces like masks with vacant eyes in order to capture how people are alienated amongst each other in the wake of modernization
Street, Berlin, 1913. Oil on canvas
 Originally part of a series
 During the time of creating this, Die Brücke had disbanded, and later that year he had worked rather fervently at this series when he was rather lonely
 Kirchner moved away from his brighter colour palletes and curves, and used more harsh and angular forms
 The main theme of his series was prostitutes
 At first glance it seems as if it is merely a painting depicting two women having a night on the town, however their suggestive posture seems to suggest something less innocent than that. The men around the two give off a menacing atmosphere
Self Portrait as a Soldier, 1915. Oil on canvas
 Kirchner didn’t want to be a soldier, so he decided to sign on as an artillery driver to avoid being put into the regular infantry. After a short time, he had a nervous breakdown and was relieved of duty. During that time, he painted the image to the right.
 The colors are colder and darker, and the style is much more angular in comparison to his other works
 The severed hand represents the trauma he experienced in the war, as well as the fear that the war would “destroy his creative powers” and render him unable to be creative, let alone paint due to his mental health
 The nude is a call back to a point in time where he painted nudes in his studios—in fact, the backdrop is the studio he worked in
At the Forest Edge, 1935-1936. Oil on canvas
 After his breakdown, Kirchner moved to Switzerland and went on to paint landscapes
 His late landscapes (such as the one on the right) were more often than not allegorical, representing how humans could live in harmony with nature and not be hindered by civilization

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