Modern Bohemia

In 1906, Kirchner co-founded the Dresden expressionist group known as Die Brücke (The Bridge), an avant-garde movement that investigated the realities and fantasies of a life lived with freedom, intensity, and eroticism. Modern and non-western arts were the means of their exploration—with study of the nude at the center of their practice. Kirchner brings all these elements together in Modern Bohemia —a depiction of his lodgings in Switzerland—to express the ideal creative environment. The forms of artist, author, nude, and female spectator are united with those of Caucasian carpets and sculptural objects inspired by tribal art in a complex balance of form, pattern and color. The artist's modulation of color intensity and placement of horizontal and vertical brushstrokes evoke a woven surface effect that firmly places this painting in what is known as Kirchner's tapestry period.