Ernst Schroeder (1928 – 1989)

Until 1990, the work of the North German painter and draughtsman Ernst Schroeder (1928–1989) remained largely unnoticed by the art public. Yet with his brief body of work, he had a significant influence on his artistic circle in war-torn Berlin of the 1950s.

Trained in the western part of the city under the former Expressionist Max Kaus, he moved to the East, where, together with kindred spirits such as Harald Metzkes and Manfred Böttcher, he developed a spare pictorial world in earthy tones. This was understood as an honest response from the then-young generation — one expressing isolation and a longing for simplicity — to the ideological demands for a “life-affirming” art.

Among connoisseurs, Schroeder is now regarded as a cult figure: his art has attained an almost iconic status.

Image: Ernst Schroeder, Hafenausfahrt, o. J., Öl auf Pappe, 59,5 x 74,5 cm, Privatbesitz

https://kunstmuseum-ahrenshoop.de/veranstaltung/ernst-schroeder-1928-1989/