Curatorial Narrative Bergsee by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner embodies the expressive fervor of Abstract Expressionism in its earliest manifestations. Created circa 1919-1920, this work occupies a pivotal position within the artist’s oeuvre, bridging his earlier Fauvist experiments with the gestural freedom that would characterize his subsequent output. The loose brushwork and vibrant accents of red and blue in Bergsee are hallmarks of Kirchner’s increasing emphasis on spontaneous expression, as he sought to capture the dynamic flux of modern existence. By eschewing representational detail in favor of a more fluid, atmospheric approach, Kirchner conveys the turbulent energies of the natural world, imbuing his landscape with an almost palpable sense of turbulence.As Bergsee is enlarged to its full dimensions 71×44 inches the viewer is confronted with a spatial structure that defies easy categorization. The neutral tones that comprise the b