german expressionist painters

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: A German Expressionist on Fire

Sandra Bertrand

Kirchner’s move to Berlin in 1911 allows his signature style full play and is never more evident than in his Berlin Street Scene (1913-14).  The placement of his prostitutes with their plumed hats and furs shows a mastery of perspective.  The artist has thrust the women and their male partners in a rhythmic march towards the foreground, creating an inescapable tension. The action comes to an abrupt stop with a male subject front and center with his back to the viewer.  This painting was co-acquired in 2006 and Director Renee Price sees it as a work of “pointed social critique,” one that’s central to their mission.

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