Gestürzter

The pictures of Paul Berger-Bergner frequently take tragic and melancholy aspects of the modern human condition as their theme. In his work, categorized as expressive realism, he exaggerates the real through harsh color contrasts, strictly constructed spaces, and accentuated figures. However, despite his reduced formal language, Berger-Bergner remained faithful to the figurative throughout his life, resisting the tendencies of abstract painting. In his work »The Fallen«, the dark figure is isolated within the empty space, with just a small table suggesting an imaginary room, while the rest of the picture surface remains abstract. It appears as if the painter is less concerned with the staging of a real event than a representation of his figure’s inner state. Thus the fall can be interpreted as an existential symbol for a loss of self and loneliness, violence and death. Berger-Bergner lived in Mannheim for many years and taught at what was then the Free Academy. He established a strong reputation within the cultural scene in this City of Squares and had a lasting influence on subsequent generations of Mannheim artists.