Works of Egyptian and Coptic Art as a Source of Inspiration for German Expressionism


Whereas much has been written about the influence of so-called primitive (especially African and Oceanian) sculpture as well as early buddhist paintings from Ajanta (India) on the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and other members of the »Brücke«, it had escaped notice until now that objects from Pharaonic and Coptic Egypt played a significant role during several stages of his artistic uvre as well. By identifying the models of several (in many cases unpublished) scetches of Kirchner within the collections of Egyptian and Coptic antiquities at Berlin and by demonstrating the influence of Ancient Egyptian principles of two-dimensional representation on some of his major works, new insights into Kirchner s perception of non-classical art become possible.


For the future, an exhibition bringing together pieces of Egyptian as well as Coptic Art with avant-gardist works of the early 20th century is planned.


Principal investigators
Kammerzell, Frank Prof. Dr. (Details) (Archaeology and Cultural History of Northeastern Africa I)

Duration of project
Start date: 01/2006
End date: 12/2007

Research Areas
Ägyptenrezeption, ägyptische Kunst, Coptic Art, Egyptian Art, Expressionism, Expressionismus, Kirchner, Ernst Ludwig (1880-1938), koptische Kunst, Modern Art, Moderne Kunst

Publications

Kammerzell, Frank. 2006. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Ägyptisches und Koptisches, in: jn.t Dr.w. Festschrift für Friedrich Junge, hrsg. von Gerald Moers, Heike Behlmer, Katja Demuß und Kai Widmaier, 2 Bde., Göttingen: Seminar für Ägyptologie und Koptologie, II 345-381 mit Tf. VI-VIII



Kammerzell, Frank & Hanna Strzoda. 2007. Kirchners Plakatentwurf zur Ausstellung »Deutsche Graphik« im Kunstsalon Wolfsberg Zürich, in: Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums 2007, 195-214


Last updated on 2022-07-09 at 19:05