Expressionism - historical context

 For my project, I chose the expressionism theme. Despite knowing the expressionist current, I consider it important to know more about it, since I have to incorporate this style into my art and design project. 

I intend to go on doing research and making posts about expressionism and expressionist artists in order to develop my project according to this current.

Expressionism is a style, artistic movement that emerged in the early twentieth century and had an influence on different types of arts: cinema, theater, literary, music, dance, architecture, photography, and all types of visual arts. (Britannica, s.d.)

On the website Tate (s.d.) we find the definition of expressionism: "Expressionism refers to art in which the image of reality is distorted in order to make it expressive of the artist’s inner feelings or ideas". Expressionism values ​​instinct, irrational aspects when it creates reality. Emotions and subjectivity are thus represented. (Britannica, s.d.).

Expressionism begins with Van Gogh but has numerous representatives: Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, Egon Schiele, Paul Klee, Max Beckmann, most of Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, Francis Bacon, among others. (tate, s.d.)

This current arises in northern Europe, more specifically in Germany. it arose due to the changes that were taking place in Europe, mainly industrialization, which was characterized as evil. But the First World War still influenced this current more.

Expressionism had exponential growth, but came to an end with Nazism, having at that time been considered as

 “Degenerate art”, that is immoral, Jewish, or communist art. During the Second World War, expressionist works, a generic term for art considered morally suspicious, Jewish or Communist, were removed from museums and confiscated private collections in Nazi Germany. (Hugo, 2020)

I chose the painting "The scream" by Munch because it is representative of Expressionism and, because, in Portugal, it appeared in all art school textbooks.

Edvard Munch, The scream, oil, tempera, pastel and crayon on cardboard, 91 cmx73,5, 1893, National Gallery and Much Museum, Oslo, Norway.

References:

Britannica (s.d.) Expressionism, artistic style [online] available from: Expressionism | Definition, Characteristics, Artists, Music, Theater, Film, & Facts | Britannica
(accessed 17th Oct 2021)

Hugo, Victor (2020) Expressionismo – O que, contexto histórico, origem e características [online] available from: Expressionismo - O que, contexto histórico, origem e características (r7.com)  (accessed 17th Oct 2021)

Tate (s.d.) Expressionism [online] available from: Expressionism – Art Term | Tate (accessed 17th Oct 2021)