Accompanying the major exhibition "Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. The Unknown Collection", we are presenting illustrations and prints by other members of the artists' association "Brücke", which Kirchner had gathered around him from 1905 onwards: Erich Heckel (1883-1970), Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884-1976), Emil Nolde (1867-1956), Max Pechstein (1881-1955) and Otto Mueller (1898-1979) are represented with drawings, woodcuts, etchings and lithographs from our rich collection.
Thematically, the palette extended primarily to the depiction of man: This is detached from the natural model and appears in a spontaneous, simplified manner that emphasizes the surface. The renunciation of proportions and perspective contradicts the actual academic tradition. This resulted in emotional, "expressionistic" works that show people mainly in the big city (street and vaudeville scenes) but also in nature (nudes, bathers).
Especially in graphic art, influenced by models such as Paul Gauguin or Edvard Munch, bright colors as well as roughly cut woodblocks in striking black and white served the artists to express their feelings and passions directly. Since 1911, this is described with the term "Expressionism" both in art but also synonymous in literature.