German Expressionism

Jaimee Rodriguez // Karla Collaguazo

What is German Expressionism?

Expressionism● A form of art in which the artist expresses his/her personal feelings about

the subject through style and technique● Focus on emotional depiction over realistic depiction (Non-naturalistic)● Contrast to Impressionism, which sought to realistically depict the world● The main purpose of expressionist art is to convey a message and provoke

personal feelings

German Expressionism● Expressionist Art that originated in Germany● A movement of the early 20th century● Expressionist movements occurred

elsewhere in Europe around the same time, such as France and Austria

● Emerged as a response to the conflicting relationship between humanity and the world

Influences● Post-Impressionists

○ Paul Gauguin○ Vincent Van Gogh○ Edvard Munch

● Fauvism○ Henri Matisse

● Cubists● Foreign art

○ Africa○ Oceania

● Folk Art○ Germany○ Russia

Characteristics ● Came from within the artist vs depiction of external visual world● Swirling, swaying, and exaggeratedly brushstrokes ● Bold colors● Portrayed social criticism

Beginnings● 1905

● New technologies and massive urbanization

● Painters who rebelled against the bourgeois culture of Germany

● Four German architecture students who wanted to become painters formed

the group Die Brücke (The Bridge)

○ Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Fritz Bleyl, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Erich Heckel

Die Brücke - The Bridge (1905-1913)● Founded by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Ernst

Ludwig Kirchner in 1905

● Based in Dresden

● Expressed radical social views through modern

urban scenes, landscapes, and figure paintings

● “Achieve freedom of life and action against the well

established older forces”

● Combined traditional art with African and Oceanic

motifs, tribal art and Fauvist coloring

Der Blaue Reiter - Blue Rider (1911-1914)● Formed in Munich in 1911 and led by Franz

Marc and Wassily Kandinsky

● Loose association rather than a coherent

group like Die Brücke

● Expressed the emotional aspect of the being

through symbolism and bright colors

● Abstracted forms

● Infused art with spiritual values

● Collapsed after the start of WWI and the

death of Franz Marc and Auguste Macke

Die Neue Sachlichkeit- New Objectivity (1920’s)

● Emerged as a style in the 1920s and challenged

German Expressionism

● Reflected the resignation and cynicism in the 1920’s

and early 1930’s

● Unsentimental and objective approach

● Associated with portraiture

● Famous artists of this style include Max Beckmann,

Otto Dix, and George Grosz

● Portrayed society in a satirical manner

Sources● http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/expressionism.htm

● http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expressionism

● http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/german-expressionism.htm

● http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm

● http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fauv/hd_fauv.htm

● http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/movements/195214

● http://www.theartstory.org/movement-expressionism.htm#beginnings_header

● http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/german-expressionism.htm

● http://www.moma.org/explore/collection/ge/styles/early_influences

● http://www.moma.org/explore/collection/ge/styles/brucke

● http://www.moma.org/explore/collection/ge/styles/blaue_reiter

● http://www.moma.org/explore/collection/ge/styles/new_objectivity