Ernst Heinrich Barlach

Ernst Heinrich Barlach (1870-1938) was a prominent German Expressionist artist known for his evocative engravings, woodcuts, and lithographs.

Ernst Heinrich Barlach Biography

• Born January 2, 1870 in Wedel, Germany.
• He studied at the Hamburg School of Applied Arts and the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.
• In 1906 he traveled to Russia, an experience that had a profound influence on his art.
• Since the 1910s, he has been active in a wide range of fields , including sculpture, woodblock prints, lithography, and drama .
• In the 1930s, the Nazi regime branded his work "degenerate art" and had it confiscated and destroyed.
• He died in Rostock on October 24, 1938 (aged 68).

Representative works

• Sculpture:

  • The Wanderer (1927)
  • The Singing Man (1928)
  • The Vengeful Woman (1922)

• Woodblock prints and lithographs:

  • Illustration for "The Dead Day" (1912)
  • Illustration for the play "Poor People" (1919)

Barlach's style and achievements

Barlach's works are characterized by the emotional expression and symbolic depiction of inner conflict and suffering, characteristic of Expressionism. His sculptures, with their simplified forms and rough surface treatments, powerfully express human loneliness and suffering. He also depicted similar themes in his woodcuts and lithographs , with emphasis on shadows.

Barlach's experiences in World War I led him to develop a deep understanding of pacifism and humanitarianism, which is reflected in his work. His works denounce the misery of war and the stupidity of humanity, but at the same time express hope and a desire for rebirth.

Barlach is one of the most representative artists of 20th century Germany, and his works are still highly regarded today as masterpieces of Expressionist art and for their deep exploration of universal human emotions .