Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a leading figure of German Expressionism and a founding member of 'Die Brücke', the influential artist group that sought to break away from academic tradition and capture raw, emotional intensity in art. Formed in Dresden in 1905, 'Die Brücke' embraced bold colors, jagged forms, and a sense of primal urgency, heavily influenced by non-Western art and the anxieties of modern life. However, tensions within the group eventually led to its dissolution. Kirchner’s grandiose view of his own role in shaping 'Die Brücke' — even going so far as to write a history of the group that exaggerated his own influence — created resentment among his peers. By 1913, the collective had fractured, and Kirchner moved on to develop his individual style. Despite his success, personal demons haunted him. The trauma of World War I, combined with mental health struggles and addiction, weighed heavily on him in the following years. In 1938, after the Nazis labeled his work “degenerate” and removed it from museums, Kirchner took his own life. His vivid, restless paintings remain some of the most powerful depictions of modern alienation and psychological turmoil in early 20th-century art.