Railway Bridge on Löbtauer Strasse in Dresden

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's "Railway Bridge on Löbtauer Strasse in Dresden" offers a glimpse into his post-World War I period, a time marked by personal struggle and a shift in his artistic focus. Created in 1918, the same year he made the multi-block woodcut "Winter Night in Moonlight," this painting reflects the Expressionist style he helped forge as a founder of Die Brücke. While the group disbanded in 1913, Kirchner's work continued to embody its core tenets: a direct, unadorned reproduction of inner urges and a revival of older media like the woodcut, which influenced his bold, angular forms even in painting. After volunteering for military service and suffering a mental breakdown, Kirchner spent time in sanatoriums, grappling with his health. This painting, made while he was beginning his long stay in Davos, Switzerland, suggests a view of urban infrastructure, a departure from the nudes in natural settings that characterized his earlier Moritzburg and Fehmarn works. It showcases his enduring interest in capturing the raw energy of modern life, even as his personal world became increasingly fractured.