Who and what influenced the work of Die Brucke?

Die Brücke, founded in 1905 in Dresden, was influenced by a variety of sources, including the work of earlier Expressionist artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Matisse, as well as African and Oceanic art, which they admired for its raw emotional power and bold forms. The group's members, including Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Emil Nolde, sought to break away from traditional artistic conventions and express the tumultuous emotions of their time, particularly in response to the rapid industrialization and urbanization in Germany. Their focus on individual experience and emotional intensity laid the groundwork for modern expressionism.