ExpressionismBy: Devang Patel

Mauro RosselliMatthew Long

History By definition: expressionism is signifying

the use of distortion and exaggeration by the expressionist to exemplify an event.

Late 19th and early 20th century This was the time right around World

War One.

History

Focused on schools of emotive and interpretive art.

Expressionism art didn’t only focus on painting

Played a large role in cinema, theatre, literature and dance

History - Development

Most related to Germany in 1910 Started as German Expressionism Was a reaction to Impressionism, can also

be noted as “Post-Impressionism” Impressionists tried to recreate an

impression of the objective world. Expressionism dealt with artists own

personality, feelings and emotions.

History - Development

Expressionists had no desire to capture what they saw, but rather their emotional response to it.

More active, and subjective type of art.

History – Early Artists

FIRST signs of expressionism was in the Fauvism movement – 1905.

The general characteristics could also be seen in Van Gogh at first.

Started to use pure colors. Agitated brush marks. Distortion of shapes.

Expressionism developed with three main groups groups; Die Brucke (The Bridge), Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) and Die Neue Sachlichkeit (“the New Objectivity). Later Discussed.

General Styles

Emotions and feelings Vivid and un-naturalistic colors Dynamic and distorted forms Exaggeration of form which adds to the

emotional effect

Edward Munch

One of the earliest artists. 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944 Norwegian Pioneer in the expressionist movement in

modern painting. Inspires present day artists Father was Christian Munch whose wife

died when Edvard was only five years old. This had a big impact on his expression of emotion.

Edvard Munch - Styles

Strong sense of emotion Most pieces: orange-red bright colors. Used against black to bring more

contrast from colors. Often depict image of death or

suffering.

Edvard Munch - Contributions

Did many woodcuts, lithographs, and etchings.

This is important because he’s bringing new tools into the art world.

Brings in a more graphic style.

-The Scream by Edvard Munch-1893

- Puberty by Edvard Munch-1894

- Madonna by Edvard Munch- 1894-94

-The Vampire by Edvard Munch-1893-1894

- The sick child by Edvard Munch- 1907

Die Brücke

Means: The Bridge. Symbolizes the link, or bridge, they would form with art of the future.

Founded in Dresden, Germany in 1905 by a group of young architecture students who had interest in art.

First cohesive group of German artists to concentrate on expressionist styles

This group combined traditional German art with African, Post-Impressionist and Fauvist styles.

Consisted of paintings, woodcuts, sculptures, and even lithographic prints. Attempted to express emotional feeling through distortion, exageration, color, and line.

A Group of Artists: Otto Mueller, Kirchner, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff

Background born on May 6, 1880 in Aschaffenburg. Studied at a technical college until he

saw Albrecht Dürer's original woodblocks, which made him decide to become a painter.

Founder of ‘Die Bruke’ and considered the leader of the group as well

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938)

Style Flat Bold Colors Faces People

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Street, Dresden

1908

Marcella (1909)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Street, Berlin (1913)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Self Portrait As a Solider (1915)

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Emil nolde

Part of Die Bruke

Still Life with Masks (1911)

Emil Nolde

Prophet (1912)Emil Nolde

Der Blaue Reiter 1911-1914

Means “The Blue Rider” Believed that colors and shapes were a

way of mimicking music and sound Focused on creating color combinations

that would purify the soul

Wassily Kandinsky

Born in Moscow in 1866 Fascinated by colors in nature Studied music, law and economics

before deciding to become a painter Went to art school in Munich, Germany Started The Blue Rider movement with

Franz Marc

Wassily Kandinsky cont.

Moved back to Russia once World War I started

Moved back to Germany after the war to teach at the Bauhaus

In 1933 when the Nazis came to power he moved to France

He continued to make art until his death in 1944

Flood Improvisation 1913. Kandinsky

Franz Marc

Born 1880 Cofounded Der Blaue Reiter Began using abstract animal forms in

his art Died at the age of 36 in World War I

The Yellow Cow 1911 by Franz Marc

The Large Blue Horses 1911, Franz Marc

Die Neue Sachlichkeit (The New Objectivity)

Founded in Germany 1920’s – 1930’s After math of World War One Founded by George Grosz and Otto Dix Realistic Style combined with a cynical

and socially critical stance. German meaning is “a new reality” Movement focused on the post-war life.

Die Neue Sachlichkeit (The New Objectivity)

Focused some on faces and majorly on architecture.

Cityscapes were often created, involving streets and busy intersections with large buildings.

Many say that this created a new mental relation with the objects.

Otto Dix

Born 1891 Participated in the first DADA art fair German expressionist Sketched and painted for the entirety of

his life Focused a lot on the war

The Match Seller 1920Otto Dix

Skat Players 1920,

Otto Dix

To Beauty 1922,

Otto Dix

The War Triptych 1929-1932, Otto Dix

Flanders 1934, Otto Dix

Max Beckman

Beckmann differed from normal expressionism: emotional realism.

Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery

(1917)Max Beckman

The Night, (1918–1919)

Max Beckman