Nolde and The Brücke
18 November 2017 to 2 April 2018
Emil Nolde is one of the most outstanding artists of the 20th century. The group of artists known as Die Brücke formed in 1905 in Dresden, consisting of Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. They were among the most important representatives of Expressionism. These young men in their early twenties were enthusiastic about Emil Nolde’s “storms of colour” – a painter who was almost a generation older – and offered him membership of their group in February 1906. The group’s painting style was inspired by Nolde, who in turn was inspired by the woodcut, which was a domain of Die Brücke artists. However, Nolde, who “liked so much to keep his wings free”, separated from Die Brücke in November 1907. Nevertheless, the artistic echo of their joint period influenced the artists involved for years to follow.
In this exhibition together with the Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig, the Kunsthalle zu Kiel dedicated itself to this important chapter of German art history.
The exhibition, with participation from numerous museums and private lenders, was carried out with the support of the Brücke Museum in Berlin and the Nolde Foundation in Seebüll.