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Expressionism

Expressionism

Expressionism is an artistic and cultural movement that originated in early 19th-century Germany. In painting, it is considered a part of modernism.

The Expressionist movement advocates the supremacy of expression over description. That is, the quality of art increases with the artist's subjective expressiveness. Thus, the skill of painters from previous periods such as the Neoclassical era, academicism and even Impressionism, is dismissed and labeled as "not very human."

The most famous founder of the movement is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, author of one of the most highly regarded paintings in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum:


  • "Fränzi before a carved chair"

    Painted in 1910, its high value lies in the fact that it is one of the earliest expressionist paintings.

The classic characteristics of Expressionist works are the use of strong colors, provocative themes, Naïve aesthetics, abstract forms, and subjective depth of field.

On the other hand, the term "expressionists" is also used for those painters who, regardless of the period to which they belong, practice a very distinctive art that can be classified as subjective. A good example of this is El Greco, who was known for his very personal style.

Related painters:


Expressionist paintings

One of the most prominent examples of Expressionism is the pastel drawing on paperboard, created by the Norwegian Edvard Munch in 1893, this painting has achieved one of the highest sale prices in history, $120 million (2012).


  • "The Scream"

    Painted in 1893 , it is considered a work with enormous emotional weight, for this reason and because of the era in which it was painted, it is considered a precursor of German Expressionism.

Paintings in the store: