English Step Dancers (1911)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880–1938) was a leading figure in 20th-century art and played a pivotal role within the German Expressionist movement. Renowned as a co-founder of Die Brücke (“The Bridge”), he helped establish this group in Dresden in 1905 with the intention of charting a new course in art, intentionally distancing themselves from academic conventions. The young artists of this collective aspired to produce works that conveyed intense emotion and vivid imagination, thereby fundamentally influencing the trajectory of modern art in Germany.

Kirchner, along with other Die Brücke members, looked to artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Edvard Munch for inspiration; the powerful emotional intensity and vibrant use of color in their work spoke strongly to them. Their admiration also extended to African and Oceanic art, which attracted them due to its directness and stylized shapes. Kirchner often employed woodblock printing, resulting in images marked by flat spatial perspectives and stark contrasts, and he further highlighted bold, unnatural colors throughout his paintings and prints.

Kirchner’s work frequently features subjects such as exotic cultures, far-off landscapes, self-portraits, dancers, and, most famously, scenes from urban life in Berlin. His portrayals of Berlin street life are particularly renowned for capturing the vitality, movement, and sense of isolation characteristic of the modern metropolis. These themes enabled Kirchner to delve into the shifting psychological landscape and complexities of early 20th-century society.

Although Kirchner never left Europe, his art regularly featured motifs from cultures beyond Europe, which he discovered through the art and objects accessible to him in Germany. His distinctive approach and groundbreaking techniques had a profound effect on Expressionism and left a mark on artists who followed. Today, Kirchner stands as one of the most important German artists of his time, and his works are part of the collections of renowned museums worldwide.