Expressionism Artwork

Expressionism is quite vague notion that can be used in various media, including music, literature, theatre and film, painting, etc. However, as a rule, this term is used to describe an artistic style initiated in the late 19th and applied to depict subjective emotions of the artist rather than the objective reality. This style implies exaggerated and distorted shapes, colors, dramatic brush work – in this way the artist is able to represent his/her inner feelings and experiences. Expressionism as well as other artistic styled formed as a reaction to social and politic events of that period of time: war, politics, modern society, etc.

Analyzing Expressionism artwork we can see it includes not painting only but also sculpture, films, woodcuts, and so on. The features of the style can be found in various options: Expressionism woodcuts, Expressionism films, Expressionism artwork, Expressionism portrait, Expressionism landscape, Expressionism sculpture. Talking about Expressionism sculpture the name of Erich Heckel should be mentioned who worked in sculptural and painting media and Ernst Barlach who also adopted this style. Among the most notable Expressionism films there are the following: "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" by Robert Wiene (1920), The Golem: How He Came Into the World (1920), Metropolis by Fritz Lang (1927), a Symphony of Horror by F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922). Such term «expressionism» is used also regarding the stylistic devices that resemble the German Expressionism movement (Expressionism films of Ingmar Bergman, for instance). The term is used to describe the films of heightened artifice with striking sound and visual design as well.

The features of Expressionism are also present in architecture, and as an example Bruno Taut's Glass Pavilion at the Cologne Werkbund Exhibition and Erich Mendelsohn's Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Poelzig's Berlin theatre can be cited. Music also experienced the influenced of Expressionism – expressionist composers self-consciously used atonality to free their artform from the traditional tonality, to express the subconscious and suffering through the dissonant music. The most prominent individuals in music were Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg. Also a lot can said about Expressionism literature and theatre. The characteristic feature of Expressionist plays is the dramatization of protagonists sufferings.

If you are an admirer of expressionism artwork we offer you to visit the gallery of contemporary artist Valeriy Klinkov. The painter is one of the multiple followers of the great 20th century movement. You have a chance to find out more about contemporary art, to view the pictures of V.Klinkov and also obtain any of them.