A severe infection during his teenage years forced Christian Rohlfs to confront his physical mortality, leading to a leg amputation in 1874 and the formal adoption of painting as his primary vocation. Over the subsequent decades, this German visual artist transitioned from academic and naturalist traditions to become a central figure within the movement of Expressionism.
Early Education and Weimar
Born in 1849 in Groß Niendorf, Rohlfs initially engaged with artistic training in Berlin. By 1870, he relocated to continue his studies at the Weimar Academy. His early development spanned various styles, including Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, as he refined his technical approach to draftsmanship and painting throughout the closing years of the nineteenth century.
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In 1901, Rohlfs moved from Weimar to Hagen. Through the intervention of architect Henri van der Velde, he met the collector Karl Ernst Osthaus. This connection granted Rohlfs access to a dedicated studio within an estate that would eventually house the Museum Folkwang. During this period, exposure to the works of Vincent van Gogh, alongside personal interactions with Emil Nolde and Edvard Munch, catalyzed his shift toward Expressionism.
Graphic Experimentation and War
After encountering an exhibition by the group Die Brücke in 1908, Rohlfs began producing prints at the age of 60. He eventually created 185 works, primarily woodcuts and linocuts. The start of World War I impacted his creative output, causing a temporary cessation of his painting. Occasionally, he applied heavy hand-coloring to his existing prints, such as his 1919 modification of the work Der Gefangene.
Political Conflict and Final Years
In May 1922, Rohlfs participated in the International Congress of Progressive Artists, where he signed the Founding Proclamation of the Union of Progressive International Artists. By 1937, the Nazi regime targeted his career, expelling him from the Prussian Academy of Arts and labeling his output as degenerate. Seventeen of his paintings were displayed in the 1937 Degenerate Art Exhibition, and public collections were ordered to remove his work. He died on January 8, 1938, in Hagen and was buried at Friedhof Delstern.
Fast facts
- Born: 1849, Groß Niendorf
- Died: 1938, Hagen
- Citizenship: German Reich
- Movement: Expressionism
- Primary Occupations: Painter, sculptor, graphic artist, draftsperson
- Honorary Citizen: Hagen
- Burial Site: Friedhof Delstern
Questions readers ask
What stylistic movements influenced Rohlfs?
He worked through academic, naturalist, impressionist, and Post-Impressionist styles before becoming a notable representative of Expressionism.
How did the Nazi regime affect his career?
They declared his work degenerate in 1937, expelled him from the Prussian Academy of Arts, removed his pieces from public collections, and prohibited the sale of his paintings after his death.
Achievements
- Movement: Expressionism
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