Expressionism

Sharp angles, strange forms, lurid colors and distorted perspectives are all hallmarks of Expressionism, an international movement that prioritized emotion over objective reality, and which flourished internationally, but was particularly present in Germany and Austria.

With leading groups Die Brucke (The Bridge) and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), the Expressionists disowned against Impressionism, which they regarded as “man lowered to the position of a gramophone record of the outer world”, to depict instead a raw and visceral experience of life. Their paintings brim with emotive force, often drawing on inspiration outside of Europe, such as from native folk or tribal art.

This book introduces the Expressionist quest for authenticity, looking at its stylistic tendencies, influences, and such key protagonists as Beckmann, Heckel, Kandinsky, Kirchner, Kokoschka, Macke, Marc, Mueller, Nolde, Schiele, and Schmidt-Rottluff.

About the Series:
Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Genre Series features:

• a detailed illustrated introduction plus a timeline of the most important political, cultural and social events that took place during that period
• a selection of the most important works of the epoch, each of which is presented on a 2-page spread with a full-page image and with an interpretation of the respective work, plus a portrait and brief biography of the artist
• approximately 100 colour illustrations with explanatory captions