DIE BRUCKE

   Rising at the beginning stages of the German Expressionist movement, Die Brucke (The Bridge) was founded in 1905 by four architecture students at the Technical University of Dresden; Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Karl Schmidt Rottluff. The four derived the name for their group from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra and saw it as a metaphor for a bridge moving into the new art world. Tired of academic artistic practices, the group chose not to receive formal artistic training and instead lived and worked of each other, holding collective exhibitions to publicize their art and message.

WOMAN WITH A BAG by KARL SCHMİDT ROTTLUFF

   They sought to paint using the purest form of expression, doing away with perspective and proportion for bold, loud colors and exaggerated forms. Their style of painting was impulsive, reflecting and immediacy and spontaneity to their work. They believed the art scene belonged to the youth and that traditional art should naturally give way to this new modernity.

   Die Brucke artists were influenced by the art of Van Gogh and Gaughin, as well as the neo-impressionists, art nouvaeu and fauvist movements. Fauvism, occuring during the same period, was similar to Die Brucke in aesthetics only, Die Brucke rejected the tranquil subject matter for the more troubled and anxious, focusing on themes of modernity and sexuality. Scenes of nudes in nature became particularly populer in Die Brucke.

   In 1912, they began to fall apart, with Pechstein leaving the group, The artists of Die Brucke eventually splinter off into their own induvidual styles, dissolving in 1913 due to artistic differences. Die Brucke remains well known as an early progressive movement that sought to break free of the academic mold and hence made a lasting impact on 20th century art.

   FRITZ BLEYL

   Fritz Bleyl, German artist and draughtsman, was born 1880 in Zwickau,Germany. Early member of the Die Brucke movement, Fritz Bleyl enrolled at the Technical University of Dresden in 1901 to study architecture; consenting to the wishes of his parents like fellow member and frontrunner of Die Brucke, Ernest Ludwig Kirchner. The two became close friends and studied art together; sharing the same progressive ideas.

 

WINTER by FRITZ BLEYL

   In 1905, along with graduating from school Bleyl joined Kirchner, Erich Heckel and Karl Schmidt Rottluff in forming the Die Brucke movement. Bleyl created many of the posters and tickets for Die Brucke exhibitions. The following year he started teaching at Bauschule ('building school') in Freiburg, Saxony. His role in Die Brucke was short lived; he left the group and married in 1907; choosing the pursue teaching and architecture for financial reasons. He spent the remainder of his life out of the spotlight; teaching and doing architectural and graphic world.