Expressionism was an artistic movement that originated in Germany in the early 20th century. It focused on distorting reality and exaggerating emotions to express inner experiences. Major expressionist groups included Die Brücke, Der Blaue Reiter, and Die Neue Sachlichkeit. Pioneering expressionist artists like Edvard Munch, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Emil Nolde used vivid colors, dynamic forms, and exaggeration to convey emotion and subjective experience over realistic representation. Expressionism had a significant influence on painting, but also theater, literature, dance, and film during this period.