Christian Rohlfs was a one of the most important representatives of German Expressionism. He began formal studies in Weimar in 1870. Initially Rohlfs painted large-scale landscapes, working successively through academic, naturalist, Impressionist, and Neo-Impressionist styles. Through this exposure to the avant-garde, including meeting Edvard Munch in 1904 and Emil Nolde a year later, and seeing Van Gogh's rough brushstrokes and vibrant coloring, his work moved into its final, Expressionist phase. Rohlfs concentrated mostly on figurative subjects, as well as biblical themes in response to World War I. Stopped making new motifs in 1926, but continued printing new impressions from old blocks. After the Nazis seized power Rohlfs was expelled from the Preußische Kunstakademie der Künste in 1937 and 412 of his paintings were rated “degenerate” and were removed from German museums. One year later, on 8 January 1938 Christian Rohlfs died in his studio in Hagen.
