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.
