Karl Schmidt-Rottluff quotes

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff was a German expressionist painter and printmaker, renowned as one of the founding members of the art group Die Brücke. His bold use of color and form played a key role in shaping the development of modern art in Germany. He left a lasting legacy as a pioneering figure of twentieth-century expressionism. Here are 6 of his quotes:

The essence of art can never change. I'm convinced you can't talk about art. At best, you will have a translation, a poetic paraphrase, & as for that I'll leave that to the poets.

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

On occasion I came to exaggerate certain forms, in violation of scientific proportion but in accordance with the balance of their spiritual relationships to each other. I made heads vastly oversized in relation to other parts of the body, because the head is the point of concentration of all the psyche, all expression.

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

To get straight to the point, the local group of artist called Die Brücke would reckon it a high honour to be able to welcome you as a member. Of course you will know as little about Die Brücke as we knew about you before your ehibition at [Arnold's [gallery Arnold at Dresden. Now, one of the aims of Die Brücke is to attract all the revolutionary and fermenting elements to itself – that's the menaing of the name Brücke. The gruop also arranges several exhibitions a year, which it sends on tour in Germany... Now, dear Herr Nolde, think as you like and what you like, we hope this offer is the proper price for your tempests od colour.

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

.. we didn't have the intention at all of founding a new style... What we wanted, was a refusal of the outmoded, overly-cultivated art practices.

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

The atelier was under the roof. Inhabiting this space was forbidden due to fire code restrictions, but staying and working there was allowed. We therefore had to avoid the impression that these were our living quarters. The most necessary furniture had to disappear into the attic during the day. And so the place was decorated purely with curtains. A curtain hung in front of the entrance door, a second one in front of the oven heating.... an adjoining room was hidden by a curtain with abstractedly patterned batik.

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff