German Expressionism
Modernist art movement emphasizing subjective perspective and emotional expression
About German Expressionism
German Expressionism was a modernist movement that originated in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century, with Germany as its primary center. The movement presented the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting reality radically for emotional effect to evoke moods or ideas. Expressionist artists sought to express the meaning of emotional experience rather than physical reality. The movement developed as an avant-garde style before World War I and remained popular during the Weimar Republic, particularly in Berlin. German Expressionism extended to a wide range of arts, including architecture, painting, literature, theatre, dance, film, and music. Notable German Expressionist groups included Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) in Munich. Key artists included Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, Max Beckmann, and Wassily Kandinsky. The movement emphasized bold colors, distorted forms, and emotional intensity. German Expressionist cinema, particularly films like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "Metropolis," became highly influential worldwide. The movement represented a reaction against Impressionism and Naturalism, focusing instead on inner emotional states and psychological themes.