Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Collection

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-century art. The intention of the group was to form a bridge between the old and accepted forms of art and the new. Kirchner's interest in Primitivism and his bold expressive style was a stark contrast to the established German Impressionism which was prevalent when he emerged. He was discharged from military service during WW1 after a mental breakdown and drink and drug dependency. He moved to the Swiss mountains which he painted in Fauvist colors of violet, blue, green and yellow. He studied the female form and then the cities, where he placed more importance on the demeanor and movement of the people than the architecture of which he was once a student. His work was classed as "degenerate" by the Nazis and over 600 of his works were siezed and destroyed which led to his death by suicide in 1938.