Ernst Barlach

Ernst Barlach was a German sculptor, printmaker, and writer known for his expressionistic, emotive sculptures and prints. His lifelong exploration of the human figure fused timeless aspirations with contemporary critique, blending concrete observation with abstraction, austere formalism with vitality, and profound symbolism.

Biography of Ernst Barlach

Ernst Barlach was born on January 2 in Wedel, Holstein, as the eldest of four sons to Dr. Georg Barlach and his wife Louise. In 1872, the family moved to Schönberg in Mecklenburg, and in 1877, they relocated to Ratzeburg. After the sudden death of his father in 1884, the family returned to Schönberg. There, Ernst Barlach attended the local secondary school and became friends with Friedrich Düsel.

In 1888, Barlach trained as a commercial art teacher at the General Vocational School in Hamburg. He later switched to the sculpture class of Theodor Richard Thiele, where he engaged in intensive studies of anatomy, life drawing, and garment drawing, along with drawing and modeling based on ancient, Renaissance, and Romantic examples. 

In 1891, Barlach transferred to the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in Dresden. There, he attended lectures on Greek art by the archaeologist Georg Treu and studied the sculpture collection of the Albertinum. In 1892, he joined the master class of Robert Diez, who opposed late classicism and encouraged his students to study from nature.

On Rue Alain Chartier, Alphonse Osbert is a central figure among the Parisian Symbolists, whose meetings Ernst Barlach joined. In 1895, he studied at the Académie Julian and immersed himself in Art Nouveau and Egyptian art. During this period, he also wrote short prose texts and the novel fragment "The Travels of Humour and the Spirit of Observation".

In 1896, Ernst Barlach returned to his mother's home in Friedrichroda, Thuringia. In 1897, he collaborated with Carl Garbers on the figure Klio for the Mayoral Hall in Hamburg Town Hall. By 1898, after relocating to Altona, he worked on the relief figures for the north tympanum of the New Town Hall in Altona. He also illustrated for the journal Die Jugend (Youth) and created designs for the Schleswig-Holstein Memorial in Altona. Along with Garbers, Barlach won the competition to redesign the Rathausmarkt Square in Hamburg, but they were not commissioned for the project.

In 1899, the artist moved to Berlin, where he designed sculptures and models for craft objects. In 1900, he was commissioned to design the Moeller-Jarke family tomb in Hamburg and began his lifelong friendship with the publisher Reinhard Piper. In 1902, the artist settled in Wedel and began producing vases and jars for the ceramic makers Hermann and Richard Mutz in Altona. During this time, he became acquainted with Justus Brinckmann, the director of the Hamburg Museum of Arts and Crafts.

In 1904, Ernst Barlach relocated to Höhr in the Westerwald, where he temporarily took up a teaching position in painting, drawing, and modeling at the Royal College of Ceramics. He exhibited ceramics and drawings in the newly established Berlin studio of Richard Mutz. In 1905, Barlach moved to Berlin-Friedenau, experiencing depression and artistic doubts that turned his life into a "daily hell." During this time, he had a love affair with Rosa Schwab, a seamstress and model. Two years later, she gave birth to their son, Nikolaus, in Berlin.

In 1906, Barlach journeyed with his brother Nikolaus to Ukraine to visit their other brother Hans, who was employed as a heating engineer in Kharkiv. They resided at Hans's summerhouse in Pokatilovka, near Kharkiv, and traveled to Belgorod and the southern Donets Basin. Barlach drew significant artistic inspiration from his interactions with peasants and beggars, as well as his experiences in the southern Siberian steppes.

In 1907, the artist's works "The Blind Beggar" and "Russian Beggar Woman with Bowl" were exhibited at the Berlin Secession. That same year, the artist wrote his first play, The Dead Day, in which he explored his relationship with his parents. He also published drawings in Simplicissimus and made his first sales. Additionally, Barlach became a member of the Berlin Secession and sued Rosa Schwab for custody of their son Nikolaus, which was granted to him in 1908.

In 1909, Ernst Barlach received a scholarship to the Villa Romana in Florence, thanks to the recommendations of the gallerist and publisher Paul Cassirer and painter Max Liebermann. During his time there, he befriended the poet Theodor Däubler, who introduced him to Eastern philosophy and a cosmological view of nature. Together, they undertook walking tours of Tuscany. 

In 1910, Barlach moved his studio and residence to Güstrow. He participated in the first Sonderbund exhibition in Düsseldorf with ten sculptural works. Additionally, eight of his sculptures and twenty drawings were featured in a special presentation at the twenty-first exhibition of the Berlin Secession in which he was elected to the executive committee.

In 1911, Ernst Barlach delved into the themes discussed in Wassily Kandinsky’s On the Spiritual in Art. In 1912, he accompanied Paul Cassirer and his wife, actress Tilla Durieux, to their holiday home in Noordwijk, Holland. While there, he created four portraits of Tilla Durieux (I, II, III, and IV). The artist also visited museums in Amsterdam, The Hague, and Haarlem, where he was deeply impressed by the works of Rembrandt, Bruegel, and Grünewald. 

In 1913, Ernst Barlach focused on his autobiographical novel Seespeck. He resigned from the Berlin Secession and joined the jury of the Free Secession. Barlach traveled through Mecklenburg with Theodor Däubler, capturing his likeness in both drawings and sculptures. 

At the outset of World War I, Barlach took charge of a day-care center for soldiers' children. Initially enthusiastic about the war, he contributed to Kriegszeit (Wartime), an artistic pamphlet published by Cassirer. He created the bronze sculpture The Avenger, completing its wooden version in 1922.

The artist's first solo exhibition at Kunstsalon Cassirer opened in November 1914, featuring lithographs for The Poor Cousin and twenty sculptures. He was appointed to the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin but declined professorships offered in Dresden and Berlin, as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Rostock.

In 1915-16, Barlach trained as a reserve soldier in Sonderburg, near the Danish border, but was granted early exemption through a petition from August Gaul and Max Liebermann to the Imperial War Ministry. Barlach processed his war experiences in the Güstrow Diary and contributed to the pacifist publication Der Bildermann (The Picture Man), initiated by Cassirer. He also became friends with art teacher Friedrich Schult, who would later prepare the first catalog raisonnés of Barlach’s work.

Tragically, in 1920, Barlach’s mother took her own life while undergoing hospital treatment for depression. In 1921, the artist explored his relationship with his mother through the play The Foundling. Additionally, Elisabeth Schult, wife of artist Friedrich Schult, declined a marriage proposal from Barlach during this time.

In 1923, as depression and his chronic heart condition took their toll, Barlach increasingly devoted himself to literary pursuits and also created lithographs for Goethe's poems. In 1924, Barlach was honored with the Kleist Prize. He met Bernhard and Marga Böhmer, who had moved to Güstrow. The following year, he was named an honorary member of the Academy of Visual Arts in Munich and traveled through southern Germany.

In 1926, Paul Cassirer, the artist's longtime supporter and friend, tragically took his own life. Barlach exhibited his wooden sculptures at Salon Cassirer and participated in the International Art Exhibition in Dresden. Despite declining an appointment to the Weimar Art Academy, Barlach engaged in sketching a monument for Güstrow Cathedral and participated in a competition for a Beethoven memorial in Berlin. He relocated his studio to a former garage during this period.

The artist’s personal life changed as well. His love affair with Marga Böhmer, who divorced her husband in 1927, led Barlach to move into the Böhmers’ house on the Heidberg outside Güstrow. Bernhard Böhmer became Barlach’s assistant and secretary, managing the sale of his artworks.

From 1927 to 1932, Ernst Barlach embarked on what he called his "great working day," during which he designed and executed numerous monumental works for public spaces. This period saw the creation of significant sculptures such as the Güstrow Memorial (1927), the Spiritual Warrior in Kiel (1928), the Magdeburg Memorial (1929), the Hamburg Memorial (1931), and the Communion of Saints in Lübeck (1930–32). Amidst his prolific artistic output, Barlach struggled with health issues, taking a cure in Bad Kissingen due to heart trouble. During this time, he also penned his autobiography, "A Self-told Life". 

In 1930, Barlach signed a contract with the art dealer Alfred Flechtheim for the casting of twenty bronzes from plaster models by the Noack Foundry in Berlin-Friedenau. He met the renowned sculptor Aristide Maillol in Berlin and celebrated his 60th birthday with exhibitions at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, the Folkwang Museum in Essen, the Kunsthalle zu Kiel, and the Galerie Flechtheim.

By 1932, financial difficulties compounded by National Socialist propaganda posed significant challenges for the artist. Despite these hardships, he was featured in a special presentation at the autumn exhibition of the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, showcasing nine sculptures and eleven drawings.

In 1936, he was honored as an honorary member of the Vienna Secession and the Association of Austrian Sculptors. However, in the same year his book "Zeichnungen von Ernst Barlach" was seized by the Bavarian police on orders from the Ministry of Propaganda. Works by Barlach were also removed from the anniversary exhibition of the Prussian Academy of Arts during this period.

In 1937, Ernst Barlach's health declined sharply. His bronze sculpture The Reunion and the book Zeichnungen von Ernst Barlach were exhibited in the National Socialist propaganda exhibition "Degenerate Art". This marked a turning point as 381 of Barlach's works were removed from German museums. His Spiritual Warrior in Kiel and the memorial in Güstrow Cathedral were dismantled, with the materials from Güstrow melted down in 1941. Barlach was forced to resign from the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin and faced temporary bans on exhibiting, along with threats of a permanent occupational ban.

In September of 1939, the artist entered the private hospital St. Georg in Rostock. He passed away on October 24, 1938. His funeral service was held on October 27 at his studio in Güstrow, attended by mourners including Carl Georg Heise, Hugo Körtzinger, Georg Kolbe, Käthe Kollwitz, Gerhard Marcks, Hermann F. Reemtsma, Richard Scheibe, and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.

The Art Style of Ernst Barlach

Ernst Barlach's evolution into expressionism evolved through 19th-century academic traditions and was enriched by the creative currents of naturalism, symbolism, and art nouveau. In his quest to capture elemental inner states, the artist stripped his figures down to essential appearances. His art aimed to unite individual forms with universal themes, reconcile material constraints with intellectual freedom, and bridge a connection to the present while yearning for transcendence.

Despite his pursuit of timeless truths about human existence, Barlach's work remained deeply critical of contemporary society, reflecting social struggles and challenging bourgeois norms. His art, therefore, stands as a testament to both his philosophical depth and his unyielding engagement with the human condition.

The First World War had a profound impact on Ernst Barlach, initially seen as a herald of a new era but ultimately experienced as the collapse of Western civilization. This experience deepened his skepticism toward conventional values and worldviews. Barlach, while not aligning with any particular religious confession, delved into questions of faith and spirituality. His interest in the irrational and intangible not only influenced his sculptures and graphic works but also imbued his dramas with unique metaphors.

Ernst Barlach's Defiance Against National Socialist Ideals

From 1927 onwards, Ernst Barlach embarked on designing several monumental works for public spaces. In his memorials for the First World War victims, he pioneered new forms of collective commemoration. His deliberate rejection of heroism and overt pathos made him a target of nationalist defamation campaigns. Despite relentless attacks by the National Socialists until he died in 1938, Barlach remained steadfast and publicly defended freedom of thought and artistic expression, persevering with his work.

In direct opposition to fascist ideals of collective unity, Barlach focused on the existential solitude of the individual. His art centered on marginalized figures in society — the impoverished, the fractured, and the ostracized. This thematic focus underscored his commitment to portraying human vulnerability and resilience in the face of societal oppression.

Following the end of the Second World War, Ernst Barlach was swiftly rehabilitated in Germany. His body of work came to be recognized as a significant contribution to 20th-century art and continues to pose challenges to viewers and scholars alike even today.