Sold at Auction: Fritz Bleyl

(born 1880 Zwickau, Germany; died 1966 Bad Iburg, Germany) German artist and draughtsman. Early member of the Die Brucke movement, Fritz Bleyl enrolled at the Technical University of Dresden in 1901 to study architecture; consenting to the wishes of his parents like fellow member and frontrunner of Die Brucke, Ernest Ludwig Kirchner. The two became close friends and studied art together; sharing the same progressive ideas. In 1905 along with graduating from school Bleyl joined Kirchner, Erich Heckel and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff in forming the Die Brucke Movement. Bleyl created many of the posters and tickets for Die Brucke exhibitions. The following year he started teaching at Bauschule (‘building school’) in Freiburg, Saxony. His role in Die Brucke was short lived; he left the group and married in 1907; choosing to pursue teaching and architecture for financial reasons. He spent the remainder of his life out of the spotlight; teaching and doing architectural and graphic work.