1905 – 1930
Expressionism
Expressionism prioritized raw emotion over accurate representation. Emerging in Germany around 1905, artists distorted form and used intense, non-naturalistic colors to express inner psychological states. Edvard Munch's The Scream (1893) anticipated the movement, its anguished figure becoming an icon of modern anxiety.
Two German groups defined the movement. Die Brücke (The Bridge), founded in Dresden, included Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Emil Nolde, who used jagged forms and clashing colors. Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) in Munich included Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, and Paul Klee, moving toward abstraction while maintaining emotional intensity.
After World War I, New Objectivity artists like Otto Dix and George Grosz turned Expressionist distortion toward social criticism, depicting the horrors of war and Weimar decadence. The Nazis condemned Expressionism as "degenerate art," confiscating thousands of works. Today, major collections exist at the MoMA, German museums, and the Tate Modern.
What to Look For
Spotting Expressionism art in museums and galleries:
- 1Distorted, elongated, or exaggerated human figures
- 2Intense, non-naturalistic colors (green faces, orange skies)
- 3Jagged, angular lines creating psychological tension
- 4Visible, aggressive brushwork conveying emotion
- 5Subjects expressing anxiety, alienation, or inner turmoil
- 6Urban scenes depicting modern life's chaos and isolation
- 7Simplified, almost woodcut-like forms (Die Brücke)
- 8Animals and nature rendered with spiritual intensity (Der Blaue Reiter)
At a Glance
- Period
- 1905 – 1930
- Artists
- 15
- Artworks
- 137
Defining Features
Distorted formsIntense colorsEmotional contentPsychological themesBold brushwork
Expressionism Artists
15 artists
Edvard Munch
1863 – 1944 · 27 works
Pablo Picasso
1881 – 1973 · 22 works
Amedeo Modigliani
1884 – 1920 · 18 works
Egon Schiele
1890 – 1918 · 18 works
Wassily Kandinsky
1866 – 1944 · 11 works
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
1880 – 1938 · 8 works
Käthe Kollwitz
1867 – 1945 · 7 works
August Macke
1887 – 1914 · 6 works
Franz Marc
1880 – 1916 · 6 works
F
Francis Bacon
1909 – 1992 · 4 works
J
Jean-Michel Basquiat
1960 – 1988 · 3 works
Léon Spilliaert
1881 – 1946 · 3 works
James Ensor
1860 – 1949 · 2 works
Marc Chagall
1887 – 1985 · 1 work
Constant Permeke
1886 – 1952 · 1 work
Expressionism Masterpieces
12 worksF
Farewell
Wassily Kandinsky
State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
W
Whetting the Scythe
Käthe Kollwitz
Whitworth Art Gallery (University of Manchester), Manchester, Manchester
S
Self-Portrait, Hand at the Forehead
Käthe Kollwitz
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
R
Revolt (By the Gates of a Park)
Käthe Kollwitz
State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
T
The Dead Sparrow
Franz Marc
Private Collection, Unknown
L
Larch Sapling
Franz Marc
Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Cologne
S
Seated Lady (Dodo)
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Neue Pinakothek, Munich
W
Winding Brook
Egon Schiele
Private Collection, Unknown
V
View into the Apartment of Leopold and Marie Czihaczek
Egon Schiele
Belvedere Museum, Vienna
P
Portrait of Leopold Czihaczek, Standing
Egon Schiele
Private Collection, Unknown
P
Portrait of Leopold Czihaczek, in Profile Facing Left
Egon Schiele
Private Collection, Unknown
P
Portrait of Leopold Czihaczek (Head of a Bearded Man I)
Egon Schiele
Private Collection, Unknown
About Expressionism
Expressionism (1905-1930) prioritized emotional truth over visual accuracy. German artists used distorted forms and intense colors to express psychological states. Edvard Munch's The Scream exemplifies this approach to conveying inner anguish through visual distortion.
Key Expressionists include Edvard Munch (Norwegian precursor), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Emil Nolde (Die Brücke), and Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, and Paul Klee (Der Blaue Reiter).
Die Brücke (Dresden, 1905) used jagged forms and harsh colors for emotional impact. Der Blaue Reiter (Munich, 1911) was more spiritual and abstract, with Kandinsky exploring color's emotional properties and moving toward non-representational art.
The MoMA New York and Tate Modern London have major Expressionist collections. German museums, especially in Berlin and Munich, hold important works. Munch's The Scream is at the National Gallery of Norway in Oslo.
The war's horrors intensified Expressionist anguish. Many artists served and some died. Afterward, New Objectivity artists like Otto Dix used Expressionist distortion to depict war's trauma and Weimar society's decay. The Nazis later banned Expressionism as "degenerate art."
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