German Expressionism


German Expressionism


Expressionism is an art style that an artist uses to convey emotional experience instead of portraying that of the external world. German Expressionism is exactly that, as one could guess, the only difference being the context behind the pieces and the people who made them. 

German Expressionism was “an early twentieth century German art movement that emphasized the artist's inner feelings or ideas over replicating reality, and was characterized by simplified shapes, bright colors and gestural marks or brushstrokes” (Tate 1). This art movement, as well a large portion of historical and modern expressionist art, was also known for its exaggeration, impractical settings, and high contrast lighting. This expressionist movement began around 1905 and ended around 1920.

There were two main groups of expressionist artists during this movement. The first being “Die Brücke (the bridge)” which was led by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. The second group was “Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider)” led by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc (Tate 1).  Some art pieces during this era include Franz Marc’s “Blue Horse I” (1911), and the double-sided painting “Apokalyptische Landschaft (Apocalyptic Landscape)” and “Junger Mann mit Strohhut (Young Man with Straw Hat)” (1912) made by Ludwig Meidner. 


Marc, Franz. “Blue Horse I.” (1911)

This art movement was crucial in reflecting the change in German culture, for it began before World War I and ended around the same time. As one could imagine, the art showcased the feelings of German citizens and how they felt about their lives before and during the war. 

In the pieces stated previously the viewpoints of citizens can be seen through these art works. In Franz Marc’s “Blue Horse I” piece seems to express spirituality and freedom, and the second part of Ludwig Meidner’s painting “Young Man with Straw Hat” shows the joy of life for the wealthy (Sotheby). These pieces were made before the war began and helped to visualize the inner feelings of some German people. 

Meidner, Ludwig. “Junger Mann mit Strohhut (Young Man with Straw Hat).” (1912)


The first part of Meidner’s painting “Apocalyptic Landscape” shows a different side of the German people’s feelings, more specifically, their fears. This piece shows an urban scene where people are fleeing from their homes to get away from a prophetic scene unraveling before them. This art piece is very telling of the social, emotional, and political unrest during the time just before World War I (Sotheby). 

Meidner, Ludwig. “Apokalyptische Landschaft (Apocalyptic Landscape).” (1912)


Information that would be very contextualizing would be knowing the reason as to why the two groups of expressionists artists were made in the first place. Were they made to spread and express the feelings of the German people during this time of great unease? Were they made to express their disdain towards their government? Were they made to allow for the people to express their desire for freedom, for spirituality?

It is likely that these two groups were made and utilized for different purposes, the names of each group may help to hint at those objectives. “The Blue Rider” group may have a desire for freedom and spirituality, since the leader was Marc Franz who made the “Blue Horse I” art piece which resembles those feelings. “The Bridge” group may have wanted to express their longing to connect the people and the government to form an understanding between the two, and potentially move towards a positive change in German society. 

Some more questions that revolve around these groups would be what their tangible goal was that resulted in them disbanding. Was it the end of the war? Was the war so detrimental that the group could not keep together? Did they feel satisfied with their own personal goals that they no longer felt the need to continue the group? The latter question feels less likely, but it is a thought that formed, nonetheless. These two groups were labeled as the main ones during this time period, so that means they must have had some sort of significant impact one way or the other. 

Much more is to be said about German Expressionism and the impact it had during it’s time and well after. What is clear though, is that the art tells a story of the people and their fears, hopes, and desires and how they changed during the span of about fifteen years. For modern day, it allows us to have more personal insight during this time period. Hopefully, this art movement helped to bring about a positive change during its lifetime, or at the very least, gave people hope and a slight ease of mind. 


Written by Taylor Martin

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