Expressionism

Period: c. 1905 – 1930s CE Region: Primarily Germany and Austria; related movements elsewhere

Overview & Key Characteristics

Expressionism was a powerful modernist movement that flourished primarily in Germany and Austria from the early 20th century into the 1920s and 30s. Rather than depicting external reality accurately, Expressionism sought to convey intense subjective emotions, inner psychological states, anxieties, and spiritual visions. It achieved this through boldly distorted forms, exaggerated or arbitrary colors, vigorous and often harsh brushwork or printmaking techniques, and unsettling or emotionally charged imagery. Arising in a period of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and growing social and political tension leading up to and following World War I, Expressionism often reflects the anxieties, alienation, and spiritual searching of modern life. Key groups included Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden and Berlin, known for its raw intensity and urban themes, and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) in Munich, which explored spirituality and abstraction through color and form.

Summary of Common Characteristics (Esp. German Expressionism):

Expressionism prioritized the internal world of feeling over the external world of appearances.

Historical Context & Influences

Expressionism emerged and evolved within a turbulent historical period:

• Pre-WWI Tensions: Rapid industrialization, urbanization creating social alienation, rising nationalism and militarism in Germany and Austria.
• Interest in Psychology & Philosophy: Influence of Freudian psychology (the subconscious) and philosophers like Nietzsche (critique of bourgeois values, emphasis on primal forces).
• World War I (1914-1918): The devastating experience of the war profoundly impacted many Expressionist artists, leading to themes of trauma, death, and disillusionment (especially in Neue Sachlichkeit).
• Weimar Republic (Germany, 1919-1933): A period of political instability, economic hardship, but also cultural ferment, reflected in the sharp social critique of artists like Dix and Grosz.
• Rise of Nazism: Expressionism was condemned by the Nazis as "degenerate art" (Entartete Kunst), leading to persecution of artists, confiscation and destruction of artworks.

Influences: Expressionism drew from various sources:

• Post-Impressionism: Especially Van Gogh (emotional use of color/brushwork), Gauguin (symbolic color, interest in 'primitive'), and Edvard Munch (Norwegian painter whose psychologically charged works like The Scream were direct precursors).
• "Primitive" Art: Fascination with the perceived directness, power, and spirituality of African, Oceanic, and folk art.
• Medieval German Art: Particularly the strong lines, emotional intensity, and spiritual focus of medieval woodcuts (Dürer, Cranach).
• Fauvism: Shared an interest in liberating color, though Expressionism often explored darker emotional territory.
• Die Brücke (The Bridge; founded 1905): Group including Kirchner, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Nolde. Focused on intense emotion, urban alienation, raw technique (esp. woodcuts).
• Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider; founded 1911): Group including Kandinsky, Marc, Macke, Münter. Focused more on spiritual values in art, connections between color/sound/spirituality, moving towards abstraction.

Key Artists & Their Contributions

• Edvard Munch (1863-1944): Norwegian forerunner; explored universal themes of anxiety, love, death with powerful psychological intensity.
• Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938): Leading figure of Die Brücke; known for intense, jagged depictions of Berlin street life and psychological tension.
• Emil Nolde (1867-1956): Associated with Die Brücke; powerful, often dark colors, religious themes, interest in masks and "primitive" forms.
• Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944): Key figure in Der Blaue Reiter and a pioneer of abstract painting; sought to express inner spiritual reality through non-representational color and form. Author of Concerning the Spiritual in Art.
• Franz Marc (1880-1916): Member of Der Blaue Reiter; used vibrant color symbolically in paintings of animals, seeking spiritual harmony in nature. Died in WWI.
• Egon Schiele (1890-1918): Austrian Expressionist; known for his raw, linear, psychologically intense self-portraits and depictions of the human body.
• Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980): Austrian; known for nervously energetic, psychologically probing portraits and cityscapes.
• Max Beckmann (1884-1950): Developed a powerful, often allegorical style addressing trauma and spiritual crisis, especially after WWI (often linked to Neue Sachlichkeit).
• Otto Dix (1891-1969) & George Grosz (1893-1959): Associated with Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity); used Expressionist techniques for savage social satire and depictions of war's brutality and Weimar society's decadence.

Notable Works

• Munch: The Scream, The Dance of Life, Madonna.
• Kirchner: Street, Dresden, Five Women on the Street, Self-Portrait as a Soldier.
• Nolde: Prophet (woodcut), The Last Supper, Mask Still Life III.
• Kandinsky: Composition VII, Blue Rider, Improvisation series.
• Marc: Large Blue Horses, Tiger, The Tower of Blue Horses, Fate of the Animals.
• Schiele: Self-Portrait with Physalis, Death and the Maiden.
• Kokoschka: The Bride of the Wind, portraits of Herwarth Walden.
• Beckmann: The Night, Departure (triptych).
• Dix: The War (triptych), Portrait of Sylvia von Harden.
• Grosz: Pillars of Society, Metropolis.

Legacy and Influence

Expressionism was a defining movement of early 20th-century modernism with a lasting impact:

• It placed radical emphasis on subjective experience and emotional expression as the primary purpose of art.
• Developed potent visual strategies (distortion, color, line) for conveying psychological and spiritual states.
• Significantly influenced the development of Abstract Expressionism in the United States after WWII.
• Inspired Neo-Expressionism in the 1980s.
• Revitalized printmaking, especially the woodcut, as a powerful medium for modern artists.
• Its confrontation with difficult themes of anxiety, alienation, and societal critique continues to resonate in contemporary art. The persecution of Expressionists by the Nazis ironically cemented their importance as critical voices against oppression.