Death of Poet, Walter Rheiner

Felixmüller is one of my favorite Expressionist artists, and a reproduction of this painting hangs in my home.

The artist lived and worked in Dresden, and belonged to the Dresdner Sezession Gruppe (Dresden Secessionist Group), He was also a dedicated communist, and belonged to the German Communist Party (KDP).

Felixmüller’s paintings seem to be lit from within. His proletarian themes were usually painted with bright garish colors and skewed perspective.

This remarkable painting depicts the cocaine addicted poet leaping out a window. The tragic death served as a metaphor for Germany’s headlong plunge into the nightmare of fascism.