Expressionism Images

Expressionism started in Germany and the style originated as a reaction against academic and refined standards. Kirchner was the leader of the group called "Die Brucke" («Bridge») the goal of which was to build a bridge between Germany's past and future. The followers of the style derive their inspiration from medieval German art and primitive African sculpture, expressive works of Vincent Van Gogh and Edvard Munch.

Expressionism images were the reflection of artists' attitude to war – negative feelings and emotions. Expressionists depict subjective emotions via distorted forms and shapes, exaggeration and primitivism. Expressionist term is rather broad and it is used in different media, such as architecture, music (Redfield Expressionist), theatre, and other art (Expressionist woodcuts, for instance). It is one of the main current in the later 19th and the 20th centuries, highly subjective, personal. Depressed by war artists depicted their emotions utilizing jarring and violent elements. The style of Expressionism can also be seen as a permanent tendency in Germanic and Nordic art from at least the European Middle Ages.

Expressionist painting became a notable style with it's harshness and boldness, rapid brushwork, Expressionism images are urban street scenes and other contemporary subjects. Such painting express frustration, anxiety, discontent, violence. Jagged lined and harsh tonal contrasts of Expressionist woodcuts were one of the favourite media of Expressionists. Distorted colors and lines depicted by the artists were the means that conveyed the above mentioned qualities. Objective reality and literal representation of nature were ignored and opposed by the artists.

With the lapse of time Expressionist current evolved into similar styles, Abstract Expressionism, American Expresionism, etc. Expressionism images are also created by today's artists. Contemporary expressionism can as well be classified as spontaneous self-expression. In the later 19th and the 20th centuries Expressionism united great number of artists from a lot of countries, especially German artists, Austrian, French, and Russian ones, etc. These days the current features are present on the works painted by quite various artists representing various countries also.

Expressionism has been one of the most dominant and influential styles – a lot of artists prefer to express their feeling by means of techniques the founders of Expressionism style used. The viewers have a nice possibility to compare the skills of 19th, 20th century artists works with contemporary painters' painting. In this case online galleries can be of great help, one can visit a number of them quickly and easily. Klinkov.com is one of such online galleries and browsing it you will find the works of contemporary painter Valeriy Klinkov.