Close-knit to his home throughout his life, the Soest painter Heinrich Schlief counts among the most important representatives of Westphalian Expressionism. It was the friendship with the painters Wilhelm Morgner and Christian Rohlfs that inspired him to start painting as well. The comprehensive work of Heinrich Schlief comprises both paintings and graphic sheets, artistically executed in numerous techniques.
In their powerful coloring and their expressive imagery, the paintings by the artist are prime examples of Expressionism. Even though Heinrich Schlief never studied art, he had a great sense of capturing emotions and atmospheres in striking landscapes, portraits and genre scenes. Thew flowing color streams, which condense to eloquent motifs despite their abstract tendencies, are characteristic. Heinrich Schlief shared the sad fate of many other expressionists, as some of his works were defamed as 'degenerate' by the National Socialists. However, since the 1950s, the oeuvre of Heinrich Schlief has been rediscovered and honored in numerous exhibitions, the last took place in his hometown Soest in 2009.