In 1905[4], four architecture students in Dresden, led by Kirchner, founded Die Brucke and declared war on academic painting. They had no formal art training. The raw colour, angular forms and deliberately crude technique were the point: they wanted to strip painting back to an intensity that academic polish had suppressed.
Key facts
Biography
He was born in Aschaffenburg in 1880[4]. Moving to Berlin in 1911[4], he painted jagged street scenes of prostitutes and city crowds that became icons of German[4] Expressionism[4]. A nervous breakdown during military service in the First World War led to years of recovery in Switzerland, where he continued to paint with undiminished ambition.
The Nazis confiscated over six hundred of his works and included him in the 1937[4] Degenerate Art exhibition. The condemnation contributed to the despair that ended in his suicide in Davos in 1938[4], at fifty-seven.
Timeline
- 1880Born in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. His family moved frequently before settling in Chemnitz, where he attended secondary school.
- 1905At 25, co-founded the artists' group Die Brucke (The Bridge) in Dresden with Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff and Bleyl, launching a key movement in German Expressionism.
- 1911At 31, moved to Berlin where he founded the short-lived MIUM art school with Max Pechstein. He began his celebrated series of Berlin street scenes.
- 1913At 33, published an account of Die Brucke's history in Berlin that angered the other members and triggered the group's dissolution.
- 1915At 35, volunteered for the artillery in the First World War but suffered a severe physical and mental breakdown after only a few months, leading to his discharge.
- 1918At 38, moved to Davos, Switzerland, for treatment. He gradually shifted his focus to Alpine landscapes and peasant life in the surrounding mountains.
- 1937At 57, the Nazis seized over 600 of his works from German museums and displayed 25 in the "Degenerate Art" exhibition in Munich. He was expelled from the Berlin Academy.
- 1938Died by suicide at 58 at his home in Frauenkirch, near Davos, devastated by the Nazi campaign against his work.
Notable Works
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Ernst Ludwig Kirchner prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's body of work.
Self-Portrait as an Invalid - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
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Still Life with Sculpture - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
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Tram and Rail (Ernst Ludwig Kirchner) - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
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Trees - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
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Gasometer in Vorortbahn - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
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Female Rider - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
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Ernst ludwig kirchner art movement?
In 1905[4], Ernst Ludwig Kirchner formed Die Brucke in Dresden.How did ernst ludwig kirchner respond to nazi persecution?
The Nazis confiscated over six hundred of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's works and included him in the 1937[4] Degenerate Art exhibition; this condemnation contributed to the despair that ended in his suicide.What is ernst ludwig kirchner known for?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is known for painting, printmaking, and sculpture.Where did ernst ludwig kirchner live?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany, but his family later settled in Chemnitz.Why did ernst ludwig kirchner die?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner died in 1938[4] at the age of 58.Ernst ludwig kirchner famous paintings?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painted 'Street, Dresden' in 1908[4].Who is ernst ludwig kirchner?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a painter, printmaker, and sculptor born in Germany in 1880[4].Who was ernst ludwig kirchner?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a painter, printmaker, and sculptor who led the Die Brucke group of artists.What media did ernst ludwig kirchner use?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner used watercolour, gouache, and lead pencil.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
- [1] academic Ernst Ludwig Kirchner | Expressionist Painter, German Artist Used for: biography.
- [2] academic Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Smarthistory Used for: biography.
- [3] wikidata Wikidata: Q229272 Used for: identifiers.
- [4] wikipedia Wikipedia: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
- [5] book Starr Figura, German Expressionism: The Graphic Impulse Used for: biography.
- [6] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
- [7] book Post-impressionism : cross-currents in European painting Used for: biography.
- [8] museum Ernst Ludwig Kirchner | The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation Used for: biography.
- [9] museum Max Beckmann. Departure. Frankfurt 1932, Berlin 1933-35 | MoMA Used for: notable works.
- [10] museum The Collection | Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (German, 1880–1938) - MoMA Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-06-12. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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