This visceral life
Seeing the world through Expressionist eyes
Sharp angles, strange forms, lurid colors, and distorted perspectives are classic hallmarks of
Expressionism, the twentieth century movement that
prioritized emotion over objective reality. Though particularly present in Germany and Austria, the movement’s approach flourished internationally and is today hailed as
one of the most influential shifts in art history.
With leading groups
Die Brücke (The Bridge) and
Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), and key players such as
Wassily Kandinsky, Egon Schiele, and
Emil Nolde, the Expressionists disowned
Impressionism, which they regarded as “man lowered to the position of a gramophone record of the outer world”, to depict instead a
raw and visceral experience of life as it was felt, rather than seen on the surface. Their paintings brim with emotive force, conveyed in particular through
intense and non-naturalistic color palettes, loose brushwork, and thick textures.
Covering the group’s stylistic tendencies, influences, and most important protagonists, this introductory book explores the Expressionist panorama of moods, ideas, and emotions and their abiding quest for deep authenticity.
The author
Norbert Wolf graduated in art history, linguistics, and medieval studies at the Universities of Regensburg and Munich, and earned his PhD in 1983. He held visiting professorships in Marburg, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Nuremberg-Erlangen, and Innsbruck. His extensive writings on art history include many TASCHEN titles, such as Diego Velázquez, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Caspar David Friedrich, Expressionism, Romanesque, Landscape Painting, and Symbolism.
Expressionism
Hardcover, 8.3 x 10.2 in., 1.22 lb, 96 pages
ISBN 978-3-8365-0528-4
Edition: English
