Amselfluh 1922

Curator: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner rendered this dynamic landscape, Amselfluh, in 1922, utilizing oil paints. Editor: What strikes me immediately is the almost theatrical use of color; that range of blues and pinks creates such an intensely dreamlike atmosphere. Curator: Indeed, it is quite evocative. Kirchner's choice of oil paint, and the plein-air method, allowed for such fluidity. You see how he captures the mountain, not just as a static object, but as a series of forms interacting. Consider the availability of vibrant, chemically produced pigments in that era and their influence on avant-garde painters. Editor: Looking closer, the mountain almost feels like a series of waves, these almost hypnotic undulations that might be about time and history and even geological memory. Curator: Well, we know that Kirchner's move to the Swiss Alps profoundly changed his perspective. The mountains became less a symbol of dread and more a source of revitalisation after the First World War. He actually moved to the Alps, which were a huge contrast to the cityscape of Dresden. It had a tremendous impact on his later artistic output, technique, and artistic direction, Editor: But even the colours suggest more than peaceful revitalization. Pink, lavender, dark purple and blue could indicate trauma, not only calm after a period of mental anguish, Curator: Perhaps so, particularly if we interpret that darker palette in relation to the psychological toll of the war on artists in Germany. It also challenges our modern interpretation of his other more violent works. Editor: Seeing this painting, it encourages me to delve even deeper into the cultural memory ingrained within each brushstroke. Kirchner's personal struggles translated into symbolic choices. Curator: Absolutely, it gives us more insights, considering both his raw emotion and this carefully chosen medium of his time. Editor: Ultimately, Kirchner captures, with this vibrant oil on canvas, more than just a mountain; he distills a world of emotions. Curator: I think this provides us with insight, indeed a fuller picture into Kirchner’s post-war process.