Heckel Erich (German Erich Heckel, July 31, 1883, Döbeln, Saxony - January 27, 1970, Hemmenhofen near Radolfzell) is a German expressionist artist.
Before turning to painting, Heckel studied architecture, and was also an excellent master of lithography. In 1944, he was forced to flee from his native Germany to Switzerland after more than seven hundred of his works were seized by Nazis from German museums. In his work, Heckel experienced a strong influence of Van Gogh and painting of the Fauves, whose works are characterized by distorted forms, a flattened perspective and bright colors. Hskksl was a member of a small group of artists who sought to free art from the prevailing aesthetic norms. They created their own expressionistic style and went down in history as a group "Die Brucke" ("Bridge"). Already this very name suggests their connection with the art of the future.