Where can I see Schneeschmelze. Berglandschaft mit Alphütte?

Schneeschmelze. Berglandschaft mit Alphütte is held by Kunsthaus Zürich.

What movement is Schneeschmelze. Berglandschaft mit Alphütte?

Schneeschmelze. Berglandschaft mit Alphütte is associated with German Expressionism.

Artwork

Schneeschmelze. Berglandschaft mit Alphütte

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner , 1922

Schneeschmelze. Berglandschaft mit Alphütte is an oil painting by the German Expressionist artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.

About this work

Overview

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painted Schneeschmelze. Berglandschaft mit Alphütte in 1922. Executed in oil on canvas, the work is part of the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. It belongs to the German Expressionist tradition and presents a high‑altitude scene where lingering snow gives way to meltwater beneath an alpine hut.

Subject & Meaning

The composition captures a rugged mountain range in late winter, with snow‑covered summits receding into the distance. A modest, blue‑hued structure with a green roof occupies the foreground, suggesting a remote shelter amid the thawing landscape. The juxtaposition of cold, bright snow and warm, saturated tones evokes the transition from winter’s stillness to spring’s emergence.

Technique & Style

Kirchner applies oil paint with vigorous, gestural brushwork, allowing colors to clash and blend across the canvas. Warm ochres and cool blues intermingle, creating a vivid contrast that heightens the scene’s emotional intensity. The painter’s characteristic use of bold outlines and flattened forms underscores the expressive, rather than strictly realistic, approach typical of his later work.

History & Provenance

Created shortly after Kirchner’s return from World War I, the painting reflects his post‑war artistic direction within Expressionism. It entered the Kunsthaus Zürich’s holdings during the mid‑20th century, surviving the period of Nazi censorship that targeted modernist artists. The work remains a documented example of Kirchner’s mature landscape practice.