Reading Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Mountain Life, looking at the landscapes he painted, the photographs. I think it's wonderful. I like this work better than his Berlin and urban night life studies.
The pictures of Nina Hard dancing in his cabin as well are also wonderful. I love the woodcuts, the portraits, all full of human expression. Makes me want to do some woodcut again.
Kirchner went to Davos on a rest cure in 1917. His reaction to the landscape of the mountains and the inhabitants of the area became subjects for his art. He used his expressive brushwork and colour to depict the countryside and the rural life here. He painted these pictures in 1917 - 1926, and he went back to Germany afterwards. He shot himself in 1938 on the eve of the Second World War after the anschluss. His paranoia merged with reality. Poor Kirchner. Poor Erna Kirchner who decided to use the same surname as they were a couple. Funny that they nearly had the same first name. I'm not sure I'd like that.
Showing posts with label Kirchner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kirchner. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Art of Germany
I am watching Andrew Graham-Dixon's BBC art history series on Germany. I love the broken, dismembered art - Otto Dix, and the earlier scrawling drawings and pastels of Kirchner. The latter make me fancy working in pastel, the former inspire me to bring collage elements in.
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