Exploring Expressionism: History, Artists & Facts danefineart.com/exploring-expressionism-history-artists-facts Dane Fine Art
March 31, 2021
Expressionism refers to art or literature that has a distorted image of reality.
What is Expressionism? Expressionism is an art movement that developed in the 20th century. It is notoriously hard to define because of its similar features to other movements like futurism, cubism, and surrealism. Expressionistic art tends to be emotional and unnatural. The warped or twisted images are meant to represent the artist’s feelings, not the external world. Expressionism influenced an entire movement of creators. It is most often seen on canvas, but it has also sparked influence in film and literature. Let’s start with the origins of Expressionism.
Birth & Development of an Art Movement Expressionism originated from a group of artists in Germany during the late 1800s. They viewed the Industrial Revolution as alienating and dehumanizing. They also disliked 19th-century impressionism. A genre that focused on color and “pretty” works of art with no depth. The German group viewed it as a superficial, dispassionate, and inauthentic portrayal of life. These feelings of detachment sparked an emotional response throughout their work.
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Artists of Expressionism Expressionism challenges artists to portray their emotional experiences. Some of the most highly regarded Expressionists include Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Munch.
Vincent Van Gogh Vincent Van Gogh is the forerunner of Expressionism. His paintings convey his raw emotions by utilizing classic characteristics of Expressionism. In much of his work, Van Gogh used garish shades of red, blue, and green. He also distorted natural objects and created broad lines.
Paul Gauguin Paul Gauguin was another artist of the Expressionist movement. He incorporated elements of folk art, tribal art, and symbolism in his paintings. Paul Gauguin was experimental with color and used contrasts in his work that set him apart. He often exaggerated body proportions throughout his paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and engraving.
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Edvard Munch The most famous Expressionist, Edvard Munch, was a Norwegian printmaker. Throughout his life, he suffered many nervous breakdowns. But perhaps it was his mental health that spurred him to be a leader in this movement. Munch’s “The Scream” (1893) is the icon of Expressionism. It emerged from the overwhelming anxiety and despair he felt while taking a walk. He describes the experience: “I was walking along a path, and one side lays the city, and below me was the fjord. I felt tired, ill. I stopped and gazed out over the fjord. The sun was setting, and the clouds red like the color of blood. I felt a scream pass through nature. It seemed to me I could actually hear the scream. I painted this picture–the colors were screaming…” Munch’s paintings describe depression, hopelessness, and severe anxiety. The scenes are full of alienated individuals struggling with the absurdity of life. Critics did not immediately embrace his work. But later, it became the foundation of Expressionism.
Expressionism in Other Arts Film Expressionism did not take long to spread from artwork to film. The German cinema had a heavy expressionist influence. The first expressionist film was Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) by Robert Wiene. Released in 1920, the film portrays a madman that relates his understanding of how he came to be in an asylum.
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The cinematography included vivid colors, distorted lines, and angles. The film’s actors had exaggerated faces with eyes outlined in black make-up. All of which are meant to represent the madman’s mental state. Acclaimed by most film critics, it laid the foundation for future Expressionist films such as F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927). Both of which have dark, moody cinematography and exaggerated features as well.
Literature Expressionist poetry arose with the same intentions as art and film; to break from life’s conformity and express feeling. Poets began to use more nouns, fewer adjectives, and infinite verbs. Popular themes of expressionist poetry were horror, revolution, and the collapse of civilization. Some of the most famous Expressionist poets were Georg Heym and Ernst Stadler of Germany. As well as the Czech poet Franz Werfel. The first Expressionist playwright was Reinhard Johannes Sorge’s Der Bettler (“The Beggar”). Performed in 1917, the dark play follows a young boy in Berlin. He has been left an orphan after poisoning his father and mistakenly his mother too. The Beggar received the Kleist Prize in the same year as its publication.
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The Decline of Expressionism in Art After seizing power in Germany, Hitler denounced Expressionism as “degenerate art”. This led to the destruction of thousands of paintings. Beginning in the early 1930s, Expressionists were banished from showing or selling their works. If caught, they were subject to imprisonment. This suppressed the movement of Expressionism. And new, post-WWII art movements like Abstract Expressionism, Pop-Art, and Minimalism, arose. But, in the 1970’s a new form of Expressionism returned to the art world. It was called NeoExpressionism.
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Neo-Expressionism Neo-expressionism refers to the revival of expressionism in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Neoexpressionists had a reputation for their rough handling of materials. They also used intense texture in their works. Many added nontraditional materials such as straw, sand, or clay onto their canvases. They incorporated vivid colors and reflected the look of urban life. Artist, George Baselitz is often considered a forefather of German Neo-expressionism. His paintings often featured forceful brushwork and provocative imagery. Anselm Kiefer, another neo-expressionist used thickly applied pigments in his art. He also created with unique materials. Other German Neo-Expressionists were Jörg Immendorff, Markus Lupertz and AR Penck. For artwork by Expressionists or Neo-Expressionists, With over 52,000 pieces of artwork available in our collection, we can help you find exactly what you want.
Frequently Asked Questions What is Expressionism in art? When and where did Expressionism start? What are the main characteristics of Expressionist art? Did Expressionism only influence painting? What is Expressionism’s legacy – how did it influence later art?
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