Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a German Expressionist who suffered a mental breakdown at the outbreak of World War I and fled to the town of Davos in the Swiss Alps.

Paintings such as Mountain Landscape from Clavadel are from a point in Kirchner’s life where he took solace in nature. The mountain air served Kirchner well and was an inspiration to his artwork for the next twenty years. Upon his arrival, when asked about his decision to leave city life behind and flee into the mountains, Kirchner stated, “The delights the world affords are the same everywhere, differing only in their outer forms. Here one learns how to see further and go deeper.” Kirchner substituted the lonely figures of Berlin for the solitude of the mountains. A new muse that offered solace and respite during times of upheaval and turmoil. 

Kirchner rarely traveled into town and instead stayed up in the mountains amongst the farmers to paint. But, an old dog doesn’t learn new tricks and this party boy continued to host soirees at his home. Mountain parties are greater than city parties, amirite? Kirchner was the only resident who owned a gramophone so I’m sure people put up with his moody disposition in order to hear some tunes. During these parties Kirchner also began tapestry weaving through connections with artist babe Lise Gujer and dancer Nina Hard. Through this new practice, Kirchner further demonstrated his ability to use bold color to depict emotions. 

This little house became a refuge for Kirchner and where he began using broad brushstrokes and bright colors to demonstrate a man at peace with nature. During this time, he also dabbled in photography, documenting artist exchanges, performances, and as a way to rebel against the bourgeois norms that were popular for the time. Once a lonely figure in Berlin’s bohemian art scene, Kirchner seemed to have found his home in the safety and comfort of the Swiss Alps.