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Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (German, 1880–1938)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Locked in a dangerous embrace, beefy wrestlers writhe on a brightly colored mat. Famous for his scenes of urban life, Kirchner uses loose brushstrokes to capture the blur of bodies in motion. Imagine watching this intense match, surrounded by screaming spectators.

Brucke Artists 1905 - 1910. Brücke-Museum Berlin, Berlin (Dahlem), Germany (organizer) (September 8-October 28, 1973).

Brucke Artists 1905 - 1910

A colorful oil painting with loose brushstrokes depicting two wrestlers and four people watching. One wrestler's entire body pins the other down on the green, red, and orange patterned rug below them.

Artist’s estate, sold to Grosshennig Gallery

(Galerie Grosshennig, Düsseldorf, Germany, sold to Otto Gerson Gallery)

(Otto Gerson Gallery, New York, lent to Grosshennig Gallery on commission)

(Galerie Grosshennig, Düsseldorf, Germany, returned unsold to Marlborough-Gerson Gallery)

(Marlborough-Gerson Gallery, New York, sold to Allan Frumkin)

(Allan Frumkin Gallery, New York, NY, sold to E.V. Thaw)

(E. V. Thaw, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a founding member of Die Brücke, or “The Bridge.” The movement was originally made up of Kirchner and several of his friends, who sought to create a bridge between traditional art and modern artistic expression.

The Bridge

Wrestling in a circus? When Kirchner painted this, many vaudeville shows, music halls, fairs, festivals, and yes, circuses included wrestling matches as part of the entertainment. As professional wrestling developed throughout the twentieth century, matches became stand-alone events.

Wrestlers in a Circus

Kirchner used bold colors and choppy brushstrokes to convey mood and emotion in his paintings. Look at the brightly-painted wrestlers and the dark, somber figures of the audience. What do you think he wanted to express?

Color Expression

Psychology of Modern Life

Primitive Human Emotions

Kirchner and Die Brücke

Degenerate Art

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