German expressionism developed in Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and flourished until the 1930s, when it was suppressed by the Nazis. Expressionism was not a unified artistic style; however, expressionist artists were driven by similar ideas such as dissatisfaction with traditional artistic training, fascination with urban life and mixed feelings about modernity.
Themes
Expressionist nudes emphasized uninhibited, casual sexuality instead of idealized beauty; their portraits depicted the subject's emotions with exaggerated gestures, features and expressions. Such works often depicted nature as the cure for the stress of modern life and as a refuge during World War I. Some expressionists were drawn to Christian themes such as salvation, redemption and prophecy. When World War I began, many artists believed it would end materialism; instead, its misery destroyed the vitality and optimism that had originally fueled expressionism.
Styles
The expressionists rejected Germany's middle-class values and the traditional artistic techniques taught at state-sponsored art schools. The expressionist artists instead found inspiration in several artists and movements from the 19th century including Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Edvard Munch and the Art Nouveau. They adopted a wide variety of individual styles that emphasized personal expression. Expressionist art featured distorted or simplified forms and bold colors that the artists hoped would startle their viewers and provoke an emotional response.
Printmaking
Although primarily painters and sculptors, some expressionists also used printmaking techniques. Printmaking involves creating an image on a metal plate, stone slab or wood block, covering it in ink and pressing it against paper. Printmaking allowed them to develop innovative styles, spread their art to a broad audience and criticize or promote social and political ideas. Woodcuts featuring bold, flat images with jagged edges were a prominent style; however, they also used lithography and techniques such as etching and engraving. Lithography allowed a wide range of line styles while etching and engraving created fine, expressive lines.
Brucke and
Erich Heckel, Max Pechstein, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rotluff founded the movement called Brucke (or "Bridge") in 1905. The name "Brucke" symbolized their desire to move into the future. They are known for their unnatural colors and simplified forms. In 1913 the Brucke artists went their separate ways.
Der Blaue Reiter
Der Blaue Reiter, or "Blue Rider," was a loose association of painters formed in 1911 by Franz Marc and Vasily Kandinsky. They took their name from the horse and rider which Kandinsky used a symbol for moving away from realistic representation; it also appeared in Marc's work as a symbol of rebirth. Their artwork is known for its use of abstract forms and prismatic colors, which they saw as a tool for counteracting corruption and materialism. Der Blaue Reiter ended at the beginning of World War I.
The New Objectivity
"The New Objectivity" developed in the 1920s as a response to the abstract, romantic and idealistic aspects of expressionism. The new objectivity focused on unsentimental depictions of objective reality -- the world as it really is. The main artists associated with new objectivity were Otto Dix, Max Beckman and George Grosz. They created naturalistic but frequently satirical portraits of German society figures during the Weimar Republic.
