Symbol of expressionist emphasis: The ‘Brücke’ group of artists in Dresden and Berlin

At the beginning of the 20th century, various expressionist groups formed in the major cities of Dresden and Munich. ‘Die Brücke’ (Dresden) and ‘Der Blaue Reiter’ (Munich) were the main driving forces behind this movement, while a network of Rhenish expressionists formed around August Macke in the Rhineland.

Hardly any other group is still so directly associated with Expressionism today as ‘Die Brücke’, whose leading figure was Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. The core group was formed in June 1905 with Kirchner, Erick Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Fritz Bleyl. The young students rejected the conservative academy system at the universities. Instead, they wanted to capture everyday motifs spontaneously and directly.

They were interested in the big city with its exciting (demi-) monde of dance, nightlife, variety shows and circuses, as well as idyllic life in the countryside. Their shared interest in people is evident in their portraits and nude studies, which were created while bathing outdoors, in meadows or in the studio.