1930s

After Kerschbaumer's death in 1931, Bloch's art school continued with Schmidt-Rottluff as his partner. Whilst Bloch associated with the Die Brücke circle, and he clearly had an affinity with French Fauvism, his paintings refuse easy categorisation. 

With the rise of the Nazis, and especially when Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, Germany became increasingly unsafe.  The mood of Bloch's last Italian paintings, 'Thunderstorm Approaching' (1930) in the UK Government Art Collection, and 'Italian Butcher's Shop' (1930) with its mask of Mussolini, oblivious peasants and dead meat, is distinctly ominous.  His Berlin street scenes from 1933,  'Fehrberlinerplatz, Berlin', now in Leicester's German Expressionist Collection, and 'Kurfurstendamm, Berlin', now in Leeds City Art Gallery, show a tense city, full of apprehension. As a Jew, and as secretary of the Berlin Reichsverbandes Bildender Kunstler Deutschlands (a professional association for fine artists in Weimar Germany) and responsible for hanging their annual show in Spring 1933, which was targeted by the SA, Bloch was under threat. Having visited Denmark in the summer of 1933, the Bloch family left Berlin for Denmark in the following summer of 1934, but only nominally on holiday. En route to England, they stayed with the Danish writer Karin Michaelis (1872-1950), one of many Jewish and politically active families she welcomed on her property in Thurø.  Other refugees who stayed there with her that summer included playwright Bertholt Brecht (1898-1956), his actress wife Helene Weigel (1900-1971) and his friend the philosopher and critic Walter Benjamin (1892-1940).  In Denmark Bloch enjoyed the crisp northern light, painting views of the warehouses and harbour in Svendborg: 'Svenborg Harbour, Denmark' (1934) is in the Ben Uri Gallery. 

Bloch arrived in London in late August 1934 with his wife and daughter. Later that year he re-opened his art school, this time with the Australian painter Roy de Maistre (1894-1968) as the 'the School of Contemporary Painting and Drawing'.  De Maistre, who had moved to London in 1930, had in the same year exhibited both at the Beaux Arts Gallery, and in the studio belonging to Francis Bacon (1909-92). Just as he had appreciated Berlin's modern buildings, Bloch enjoyed the contrasts of pre-war London, for example painting the busy 'Busses in Victoria Station' in 1935 and the more tranquil 'Edwardes Square' in Kensington, where he had a studio, in 1937 and 1938. His major pre-war London painting, 'All Souls and the BBC, Langham Place' (1938) shows the BBC amongst the colourful London street furniture. Bloch's first major London exhibition was held at the Alex Reid and Lefevre Gallery in 1939.

Italian Butcher's Shop 1930 painting by Martin Bloch

Italian Butcher's Shop

1930

Approaching Thunderstorm Lake Garda 1930 painting by Martin Bloch

Approaching Thunderstorm Lake Garda

1930

Thunderstorm Approaching 1930 painting by Martin Bloch

Thunderstorm Approaching

1930

Still Life with Book 1931 painting by Martin Bloch

Still Life with Book

1931

Three Plum Figures 1932 painting by Martin Bloch

Three Plum Figures

1932

The Calendars 1933 painting by Martin Bloch

The Calendars

1933

Kurfurstendam, Berlin 1933 painting by Martin Bloch

Kurfurstendam, Berlin

1933

Thistles and Crocus 1933 painting by Martin Bloch

Thistles and Crocus

1933

Fehrbellinerplatz, Berlin 1934 painting by Martin Bloch

Fehrbellinerplatz, Berlin

1934

Svendborg Harbour, Denmark 1934 painting by Martin Bloch

Svendborg Harbour, Denmark

1934

Hope Leaving Schloss 1934 painting by Martin Bloch

Hope Leaving Schloss

1934

Village on Thuro 1934-5 painting by Martin Bloch

Village on Thurø

1934-5

House with Figureheads 1935 painting by Martin Bloch

House with Figureheads

1935

Bakers At Night 1935 painting by Martin Bloch

Bakers At Night

1935

Buses at Victoria Station 1935 painting by Martin Bloch

Buses at Victoria Station

1935

Mantelpiece with Clock and Candle 1936 painting by Martin Bloch

Mantelpiece with Clock and Candle

1936

Danish Village on the Sea 1936 painting by Martin Bloch

Danish Village on the Sea

1936

Village on Thuro 1936 painting by Martin Bloch

Village on Thurø

1936

Danish Village with Telegraph Poles 1936 painting by Martin Bloch

Danish Village with Telegraph Poles

1936

Edwardes Square in Spring 1937 painting by Martin Bloch

Edwardes Square in Spring

1937

Portrait of Barbara 1937 painting by Martin Bloch

Portrait of Barbara

1937

Edwardes Square in Summer 1937 painting by Martin Bloch

Edwardes Square in Summer

1937

Four Heads 1938 painting by Martin Bloch

Four Heads

1938

Portrait of Chloe Macmillan 1938 painting by Martin Bloch

Portrait of Chloe Macmillan

1938

All Souls and the BBC 1938 painting by Martin Bloch

All Souls and the BBC

1938

House in Normandy (or Varengeville) 1939 painting by Martin Bloch

House in Normandy (or Varengeville)

1939

Draperies 1939 painting by Martin Bloch

Draperies

1939

Red Lion, Barnes 1939 painting by Martin Bloch

Red Lion, Barnes

1939

Still Life with Bananas 1939 painting by Martin Bloch

Still Life with Bananas

1939