Expressionism was an artistic movement that portrayed inner emotions, spiritual independence, and psychological states through distorted figures and intense use of color. Artists expressed subjective experiences rather than objective reality. Common themes included anxiety, alienation, and violence. Major expressionist groups included Der Blaue Reiter which emphasized intuition and symbolism, and Die Brücke which linked cultures and past/present. Notable artists like Edward Munch, Ernst Kirchner, and Franz Marc used expressive techniques like unnatural color and form to portray universal human experiences in a psychological manner that shocked audiences.

1. EXPRESSIONISM
By:Rachael Currier
Taylar Dickson
Leann Haddad

2. WHAT IS EXPRESSIONISM?
• Artists portraying inner emotions, spiritual
independence, and psychological states based on an
object, their environment, or moments from their past
• Not about objective reality, but subjective
• Usually reflects on human existence, or connection
between self and nature

3. WHAT IS EXPRESSIONISM? CONT.
• Figures can look life-like, or can be distorted
• Can portray any emotions, and any intensity
• Can revolve around any theme. Common themes include
anxiety, alienation, violence
• Can appear from any perspective, and have any proportion
and anatomy
• Color is meant to explore, and express one’s self using
personal instinct. Is weighted on artist’s own scale

4. EXPRESSIONISM’S REASONS FOR
DEVELOPMENT
Reaction to:
• Realism- didn’t agree with objective
• Impressionism- not trying to make
impression of the world
• Felt that art/society was ignoring
pressing and important issues, and
suppressing attitudes about sex

5. INFLUENCES ON EXPRESSIONISM
• African and Asian sculpture- distortion of human figures
• Fauvism-strong use of color to show reactions/emotions
• Vincent Van Gogh-strong use of color, influence from past
• Edward Munch-strong use of color, influence from
past, psychological tensions
• German Romanticism- similarity between humans and
nature

6. COMMON EXPRESSIVE METHODS/
TECHNIQUES
• Unnatural, intense, or significant use of
color
• Distorted and/or bold lines
• Rapid brush strokes
All about instinct, little second guessing

7. EXPRESSIONISM AND MODERNISM
• Break from traditional values
• Exploring forbidden topics
• Pessimistic themes
• Subject change from realistic to
internal realm

8. DER BLAUE REITER- “THE BLUE RIDER”
• Notable members:
Wassily Kandinsky and
Franz Marc
• Didn’t like conservative
art of the time, needed
more freedom
• Believed in being
spontaneous, using
intuition, and symbolic
use of color

9. DIE BRUCKE- “THE BRIDGE”
• Notable members: Ernest Kirchner, Fritz
Bleyl, Erich Heckel, Karl Schmid-
Rottlluf, Emil Nolde
• Linked many different cultures and
linked past and present to make
something new
• Believed in freedom of
creativity, expressive truths, intense
color and form
• Heavily influenced by Van Gogh and
Edward Munch

10. EDWARD MUNCH (1863-1944)
• Grew up around a lot of illness and
death, so common themes in artwork
were
illness, death, despair, pain, isolation, h
opelessness
• Obsession with the erotic power and
complexity of women
• Believed nature was way to understand
human experiences

11. EDWARD MUNCH- MEDIUMS
• Oil paints
• Tempera paints
• Pastel
• Woodcuts
• Etching
• Lithography

12. THE DANCE OF LIFE

13. DEATH IN A SICKROOM

14. THE SICK CHILD

15. THE STORM

16. TWO WOMEN ON THE
SHORE

17. THE SCREAM

18. ERNST KIRCHNER 1880-1938

19. ERNST KIRCHNER’S KEY COMPONENTS
 Unfinished looks
 Defined Outlines and Brushstrokes
 Human figures
 Rebelled against impressionism
 Believed people were at war with
themselves

20. COMPONENTS OF GENERAL PAINTINGS
 Situations and scenes of everyday lives
 True bohemian
 Did not use professional models
 Used bold colors
 Dynamic

21. SITTING WOMEN 1907

22. STREET OF DRESDEN 1908

23. NUDE DANCERS 1909

24. THE TOILETTE 1913

25. STREET SCENE (BERLIN) 1913

26. POTSDAMER PLATZ 1914

27. SELF PORTRAIT AS A SOLDIER 1915

28. WINTER LANDSCAPE BY MOONLIGHT 1919

29. FRANZ MARC 1880-1916
 Cofounder of Der blaue
Reiter group
 Early work influenced
by impressionism
 Important influence: by
Jean Bloe Niestle

30. PAINTINGS KEY COMPONENTS
 Power, emotion and vibrancy
 Animalism
 Feeling evoked is most important
 Uses non-naturalistic colors
 Three primary colors
 Use of horses

31. GELBE KUH (YELLOW COW) 1911

32. THE LITTLE BLUE HORSES 1911

33. DER TIGER (THE TIGER) 1912

34. TWO CATS, BLUE AND YELLOW 1912

35. THE DOG BEFORE THE WORLD 1912

36. TURM DER BLAUEN PFERDE (TOWER OF BLUE
HORSES) 1913

37. REHE IM WALDE II (DEER IN THE WOODS II
1914)

38. DAS ARME LAND TIRO 1 (THE UNFORTUNATE
LAND OF TYROL)

39. EMIL NOLDE (1867-1956)
 Violent and
Aggressive
brushstrokes
 Free art
 Color to express
emotion
 Nature and
Landscapes

40. “UNPAINTED PICTURES”

41. THE PROPHET (1912) WOODCUT

42. SUNFLOWERS IN THE WINDSTORM (1943)

43. THE LAST SUPPER (1909)

44. TROPICAL SUN (1914)

45. RED POPPIES (1920)

46. PUBLIC REACTION
 Shocked the public
 Made them feel uncomfortable
 Controversial

47. AFFECTS
 Created a new perspective
 Psychological view
 Explored the darker side of
 the human mind