Karl Zerbe. Karl Zerbe was a German-born American painter and a leading figure in the Boston Expressionist movement.
He is known for his intense, emotive works that explore themes of suffering, resilience, and the human condition. His background in Germany during the turbulent Weimar and Nazi eras shaped his dark, textured style, often using encaustic techniques that add depth and intensity to his work.
He was influenced by Georges Rouault, whose focus on humanity’s struggles resonated with Zerbe’s own experiences; Max Beckmann, whose expressive realism and themes of trauma shaped Zerbe’s style; and James Ensor, whose grotesque, symbolic use of masks inspired Zerbe’s haunting depictions. Notable examples of Zerbe’s work include Melancholia (Cambridge, Harvard Art Museums), reflecting his fascination with identity and the hidden self and Job (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts), which combines biblical symbolism with existential themes.
Zerbe was born on September 16, 1903, in Berlin, Germany. The family lived in Paris, France, from 1904 to 1914, where his father was an executive in an electrical supply concern.
In 1914, they moved to Frankfurt, Germany where they lived until 1920. Zerbe studied chemistry in 1920 at the Technische Hochschule in Friedberg, Germany. From 1921 until 1923 he lived in Munich, where he studied painting at the Debschitz School, mainly under Josef Eberz. From 19
He is known for his intense, emotive works that explore themes of suffering, resilience, and the human condition. His background in Germany during the turbulent Weimar and Nazi eras shaped his dark, textured style, often using encaustic techniques that add depth and intensity to his work.
He was influenced by Georges Rouault, whose focus on humanity’s struggles resonated with Zerbe’s own experiences; Max Beckmann, whose expressive realism and themes of trauma shaped Zerbe’s style; and James Ensor, whose grotesque, symbolic use of masks inspired Zerbe’s haunting depictions. Notable examples of Zerbe’s work include Melancholia (Cambridge, Harvard Art Museums), reflecting his fascination with identity and the hidden self and Job (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts), which combines biblical symbolism with existential themes.
Zerbe was born on September 16, 1903, in Berlin, Germany. The family lived in Paris, France, from 1904 to 1914, where his father was an executive in an electrical supply concern.
In 1914, they moved to Frankfurt, Germany where they lived until 1920. Zerbe studied chemistry in 1920 at the Technische Hochschule in Friedberg, Germany. From 1921 until 1923 he lived in Munich, where he studied painting at the Debschitz School, mainly under Josef Eberz. From 19
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