Erich HeckelGerman, 1883–1970Hütte am Strand
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Not receiving at present
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
In 1905, Erich Heckel and fellow architecture students in Dresden--Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Fritz Bleyl--founded Die Brücke (The Bridge) a progressive artists' group which became central force in German Expressionism. The group struggled with police suppression and public distaste for their art. Undeterred, they used printmaking and watercolor as vehicles for quickly producing art that could be sold at prices within reach of broad sectors of society.
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Members of Die Brücke enjoyed being in nature. For three summers, 1909-11, they took summer vacations together on the Moritzburg lakes just north of Dresden. This is probably where Heckel made the present watercolor in 1911, and he probably painted on the spot. Quick, nervously energetic strokes indicate the lakeshore, beach, changing hut, a fellow vacationer, and the surrounding wooded hills, all beneath a bright blue sky. Die Brücke broke up in 1913, and Heckel pursued his own path, eventually being denigrated by the Nazis as a Degenerate Artist. Among other things, the Nazis could not accept his rough, unfinished treatment of many subjects, as seen in the present watercolor.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2023.106.3
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — © Minneapolis Institute of Art
Meanwhile, in the life of Erich Heckel
The whole life1905–1913
Secretary, treasurer and manager of Die Brücke
Heckel is the group’s secretary and treasurer and often its business manager: he builds contacts with other up-and-coming artists, such as the Munich-based Franz Marc, which brings Die Brücke publicity, even a mention in the almanac of the Blaue Reiter. His brother introduced the group to African sculpture.
December 1911
Moves from Dresden to Berlin
In December 1911 Heckel moves from Dresden to Berlin.
1912
Friendship with Franz Marc and Lyonel Feininger
In 1912 Heckel’s friendship with Franz Marc and Lyonel Feininger begins.
1913
The dissolution of Die Brücke
Die Brücke existed from 1905 to 1913; in 1913 the group dissolved.
1913
A first solo exhibition at the Gurlitt Gallery
Heckel’s first solo exhibition opens at the Gurlitt Gallery in Berlin.
1914
Volunteers at the outbreak of war, but is turned down
When war breaks out in 1914 Heckel volunteers for service in Berlin and undergoes a brief training, but the army ultimately rejects him as too old.
