A MAN OF COLOURS OR COLORS AS YOU WISH......CHAPTER 3
I was off for opening time at the Modern Pinacothèque. The description that I had read on Internet was « 4 museums in 1 ».
Modern, Graphics, Architecture and Design. I had a day to take all this in - if I needed to - but what was the most important was the Kirchner. This was titled
»Farbenmensch« Kirchner (Man of Colours)?
From the description again, there were only 19 paintings which after yesterday would be easier to manage. If anything it would be describing his painting techniques and that was something I looked forward to discovering.
The findings of the university research provide a new insight into the creative process behind Kirchner’s major works such as "Circus","Dance School"
and "Self-Portrait as a Sick Man". He painted recto-verso.
For the first time, the presentation of both the front and back of selected paintings allows the painted reverse of canvases to be examined as well. Traces of re-workings and overpainting provide a totally new way for me of presenting another of Kirchner’s unusual practices – the correction of his earlier work and its adaptation to his current style.
The struggle with colour that led to a revolution in expression at the beginning of the 20th century is obvious. I could see that. The exhibition shows how intensively Kirchner dealt with colour theory, the painting material and intensity of the colours.
The use of the reverse canvass is probably easy to explain. The war period. Painters were not rich by any manner of means so they painted something else on the back of an already completed canvas. Many of these were not discovered until late into the 20th century. Seeing them once renovated was something I had never seen before. Here I was to learn that some 140 of Kirchner’s 1045 paintings are also painted on the reverse. These were not all on display as you can imagine as we only saw six. I will be looking out for the others.
Back to my notes….
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a breakdown and was discharged. In 1933, his work was branded as "degenerate" by the Nazis and in 1937 over 600 of his works were sold or destroyed. In 1938 he committed suicide by gunshot.
There were several founders, Erich Heckel (1883-1970), Fritz Bleyl (1880-1966) and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884-976). I am more familiar with Kirchner’s and Rottluff’s work. But a little like « The Blue Rider » they were looking for something away from the academic tradition and street scenes in Dresden along with the cabarets caught their attention. The work was spontaneous although they were influenced by other Europeans such as Van Gogh, Klimt, Matisse…the influence of Matisse can be found in the Dodo painting which we had looked at on the screen and now I saw for real. The other painters were not on show - or if they were, I was only locked into Kirchner.
Quite obviously there are Fauvist tendencies in the Brücke. Harmonious color was not a must but spontaneity was. The influence was though at times, very French......
As it was a small exhibition, I wandered around before the crowds appeared - had a coffee and then wandered around the permanent collection which you will see in the next chapter - but I came back to the color of Die Brücke - my goodness, these two days have already been very rich in color and in history. How lucky I am…..
Modern, Graphics, Architecture and Design. I had a day to take all this in - if I needed to - but what was the most important was the Kirchner. This was titled
»Farbenmensch« Kirchner (Man of Colours)?
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| Kirchner |
« I can’t work rationally. I’m too much a colour man (Farbenmensch) for that"Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
From the description again, there were only 19 paintings which after yesterday would be easier to manage. If anything it would be describing his painting techniques and that was something I looked forward to discovering.
The findings of the university research provide a new insight into the creative process behind Kirchner’s major works such as "Circus","Dance School"
and "Self-Portrait as a Sick Man". He painted recto-verso.
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| Blue Trapeze artists 1914 |
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| Girl Tennis players - verso of Blue Trapeze artists 1914 |
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| Reclining Female Nude with Man's Head - verso Boy Playing cards 1912 |
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| Circus 1913 |
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| Nude on Truckle Bed - verso of Circus 1910 |
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| Bathers on Shore - verso of Elisabeth Embankment 1913 |
For the first time, the presentation of both the front and back of selected paintings allows the painted reverse of canvases to be examined as well. Traces of re-workings and overpainting provide a totally new way for me of presenting another of Kirchner’s unusual practices – the correction of his earlier work and its adaptation to his current style.
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| Masks in the street 1910 |
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| sketch |
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| sketch |
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| Circus 1913 |
The struggle with colour that led to a revolution in expression at the beginning of the 20th century is obvious. I could see that. The exhibition shows how intensively Kirchner dealt with colour theory, the painting material and intensity of the colours.
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| Couple in Studio 1907/09 |
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| Seated Girl with hat 1909 |
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| Head of Cocotte in feathered hat |
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| Cocottes in Café 1909 |
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| Woman at tea time 1914 |
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| Bridge at the Priessnitz Estuary 1919/20 |
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| Peasant Woman with Child, 1922 |
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| The Two Brothers 1921 |
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| Moonlight Night in Winter sun 1919 |
The use of the reverse canvass is probably easy to explain. The war period. Painters were not rich by any manner of means so they painted something else on the back of an already completed canvas. Many of these were not discovered until late into the 20th century. Seeing them once renovated was something I had never seen before. Here I was to learn that some 140 of Kirchner’s 1045 paintings are also painted on the reverse. These were not all on display as you can imagine as we only saw six. I will be looking out for the others.
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| Self Portrait as sick man 1918/30 |
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| Sketch |
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a breakdown and was discharged. In 1933, his work was branded as "degenerate" by the Nazis and in 1937 over 600 of his works were sold or destroyed. In 1938 he committed suicide by gunshot.
There were several founders, Erich Heckel (1883-1970), Fritz Bleyl (1880-1966) and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884-976). I am more familiar with Kirchner’s and Rottluff’s work. But a little like « The Blue Rider » they were looking for something away from the academic tradition and street scenes in Dresden along with the cabarets caught their attention. The work was spontaneous although they were influenced by other Europeans such as Van Gogh, Klimt, Matisse…the influence of Matisse can be found in the Dodo painting which we had looked at on the screen and now I saw for real. The other painters were not on show - or if they were, I was only locked into Kirchner.
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| Kirchner - Portrait of DODO 1909 |
Quite obviously there are Fauvist tendencies in the Brücke. Harmonious color was not a must but spontaneity was. The influence was though at times, very French......
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| Erna with Cigarette 1915 |
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| Dancing School 1914/25 |
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| Dance Between Women 1915 |
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| Women Bathing (triptych, central panel 1915/25 |
As it was a small exhibition, I wandered around before the crowds appeared - had a coffee and then wandered around the permanent collection which you will see in the next chapter - but I came back to the color of Die Brücke - my goodness, these two days have already been very rich in color and in history. How lucky I am…..
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| Welcome 1930 |
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