Kurt Schwitters

Kurt Schwitters is synonymous with collage, Dadaism, renewal and, above all, Merz – but not with traditional painting. His artistic work prior to his Merz period is not widely known. 
At the age of 22, in 1909, Schwitters began studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden. He attended the painting class and received a classical training, including instruction in anatomical drawing and the painting of animals. He completed his studies in 1915. 

Schwitters painted this portrait in 1916, shortly after completing his studies and marrying Helma Fischer. She is shown slightly from behind, in profile. Her pose, with her gaze directed sideways over her shoulder, lends the image a sense of tension. Schwitters worked with broad brushstrokes and thick, viscous oil paint. He rendered the face and hair in naturalistic colours. Using freer, more vibrant tones, he framed the face so that it stands out clearly from the background. His wife’s scarf glows in shades of orange and yellow. The somewhat darker orange-red tones of the background contrast with the dark – particularly the blue and violet – colours of the dress. Schwitters employed a classical complementary colour contrast. In a text from 1920, he himself described this style as follows:

“Initially, I found it possible to free myself from the literal reproduction of every single detail. I contented myself with an intensive grasp of lighting effects through sketch-like painting (Impressionism). In a passionate love of nature (love is subjective), I emphasised the main movements through exaggeration, the forms by restricting them to the essential and outlining them, and the tones by breaking them down into complementary colours.”

Although Schwitters refers to Impressionism here, he was far from a classical Impressionist. Instead, with his coarse brushstrokes and luminous colours, he was closer to Expressionism.