northern germany
Georg Wolfgang Knorr was a German engraver, naturalist, and one of the first paleontologists of the 18th century.
Knorr was first apprenticed to his father as a lathe operator, and at the age of eighteen became a copper engraver for Leongard Blank, working with Martin Tiroff on the illustrations for Jacob Scheuchzer's Physica Sacra (1731). This work and his acquaintance with J.A. Beurer, a mineralogist and correspondent of the Royal Society, awakened Knorr's interest in natural history.
In the 1750s Knorr began publishing his own sumptuous folios. One of the most beautiful books of the eighteenth century is devoted to sea shells.
Georg Kolbe was a German sculptor of the first half of the twentieth century. He is known as a master of Classicism and Symbolism. Throughout most of his professional career he was an artist in demand by various German authorities.
Georg Kolbe, despite the strong influence of the Expressionists, managed to develop his own unique style. He left a notable mark not only in sculpture, his artistic legacy includes a large number of drawings and hundreds of engravings.
His biography is closely connected with Berlin, where he lived for more than 40 years. Kolbe is named for the prize awarded by the Artists' Union of Berlin. The artist's former studio now houses a museum with permanent solo exhibitions of works by renowned sculptors of modern art.
Friedrich Wilhelm Otto Modersohn was a German painter of the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. He is known as a landscape painter, a representative of the Barbizon School.
Otto Modersohn produced Barbizonian-style landscapes early in his career, but from about 1890 his style became more expressionist, with an emphasis on his choice of colors. The death of his second wife influenced his style: the colors became darker and the images more stark. Modersohn was one of the founders of the Worpswede artists' colony. A large collection of his works is kept in the Modersohn Museum in Fischerhude, and a street in Berlin is also named after him.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a pivotal figure in the art world, known for his profound impact on 20th-century Expressionism. Born in Bavaria, Germany, on May 6, 1880, Kirchner's journey into art began with architecture studies before he found his true calling in painting and printmaking. In 1905, alongside fellow architecture students, he co-founded Die Brücke ("The Bridge"), a group that sought to revolutionize art by bridging the gap between traditional academic styles and modern artistic expression. This group was instrumental in the development of Expressionism, advocating for intense emotion conveyed through vivid colors and bold lines.
Kirchner's work, characterized by its expressive intensity and often exploring themes of urban life and the human psyche, reflects a deep engagement with the cultural and social upheavals of his time. Notably, his experiences during World War I, including a mental breakdown and subsequent discharge from military service, deeply influenced his art. Works like "Self-Portrait as a Soldier" (1915) poignantly encapsulate the personal and societal trauma of the era.
After the war, Kirchner sought solace in Davos, Switzerland, where the tranquil landscapes inspired a new direction in his work, showcasing a more serene and reflective approach. Despite his contributions to modern art, Kirchner's later years were marred by the Nazi regime's denunciation of his work as "degenerate," leading to the destruction and dispersal of many pieces. Tragically, this persecution contributed to his decision to end his life on June 15, 1938.
Kirchner's legacy is preserved through his influential body of work, from vivid urban scenes to tranquil landscapes, all marked by a distinctive, expressive style that continues to captivate art collectors and experts. His works are held in major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, underscoring his enduring influence on the art world.
For those interested in the profound impact of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner on modern art and Expressionism, subscribing to updates on new product sales and auction events related to his work can provide valuable insights. This subscription is an opportunity for collectors and art experts to stay informed about the availability of Kirchner's influential pieces and related events.
Norbert Schwontkowski is a German painter. He studied freehand painting at the University of Design in Bremen and at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg.
Norbert Schwontkowski's work lies between abstraction, realistic representation and caricature. He mixes the unconscious and surreal with the real, the figures and subjects in the artist's paintings resemble complex dreams.
Schwontkowski created his paints from hand-crushed pigments mixed with various materials to produce a multitude of textures.
Norbert Schwontkowski is a German painter. He studied freehand painting at the University of Design in Bremen and at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg.
Norbert Schwontkowski's work lies between abstraction, realistic representation and caricature. He mixes the unconscious and surreal with the real, the figures and subjects in the artist's paintings resemble complex dreams.
Schwontkowski created his paints from hand-crushed pigments mixed with various materials to produce a multitude of textures.
Friedrich Kallmorgen was a German Impressionist painter who specialized in landscapes and cityscapes.
Hans Steinbrenner was a German sculptor.
Steinbrenner's work, whose first sculptures date from the end of the 1940s, was initially still influenced by his teachers. He created classically influenced individual and group figures. By the mid-1950s, Steinbrenner's style had changed and was influenced by his encounters with the sculptors Brâncuși (1876-1957) and Laurens (1895-1954) in Paris. He created abstract, biomorphic figures up to two metres high. In the 1960s he turned to geometric-abstract, rhythmically structured cuboid sculptures. In the last phase of his work (from around the end of the 1960s), Steinbrenner once again changed his stylistic expression to abstract, stele-like figures.
Georg Herold is a German artist. He works in sculpture, installation, painting, photography, and video art. He lives and works in Cologne, Germany.
Ernst Heinrich Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor, medallist, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war. This created many conflicts during the rise of the Nazi Party, when most of his works were confiscated as degenerate art. Stylistically, his literary and artistic work would fall between the categories of twentieth-century Realism and Expressionism.
Ernst Heinrich Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor, medallist, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war. This created many conflicts during the rise of the Nazi Party, when most of his works were confiscated as degenerate art. Stylistically, his literary and artistic work would fall between the categories of twentieth-century Realism and Expressionism.
Georg Herold is a German artist. He works in sculpture, installation, painting, photography, and video art. He lives and works in Cologne, Germany.
Gerhard Richter is a German visual artist. Richter has produced abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, and also photographs and glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important contemporary German artists and several of his works have set record prices at auction.