Brücke, Die

views updated Jun 11 2018

Brücke, Die (The Bridge) First group of German expressionist painters. Founded in Dresden by E. L. Kirchner, the group chose their name because they wanted their work to form a bridge with the art of the future. They produced paintings and drawings, but their greatest strength lay in the art of woodcut. Members of the group included Emil Nolde, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Max Pechstein, and Erich Heckel. Inspired by Munch, Van Gogh, and Gauguin, jagged edges, harshly distorted figures, and a simplification of colour and form characterized their work. See also expressionism