Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

A cornerstone figure of the 20th century Expressionist movement, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a German painter and printmaker. He was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1880 and, during his studies in architecture at the Königliche Technische Hochschule in Dresden, he founded the artists group Die Brücke with his fellow students.

Kirchner's most famous works have been celebrated by critics for their vibrant and sensitive depictions of urban life in pre-war Berlin. Artists such as Georg Baselitz and Jean-Michel Basquiat have sought influence from the work of Kirchner. Today, his art can be found in the collections of New York City's Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and London's infamous Tate Gallery. The artist died in 1938, by alleged suicide.