GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM THEMES
Themes
As Expressionism evolved from just after the turn of the century through the early 1920s, a number of crucial themes and genres came prominently to the fore, many of which reflect deeply humanistic concerns and an ambivalent attitude toward modernity. These include a fascination with the enticing yet often sordid experiences of modern urban life; the enduring solace associated with nature and religion; the naked body and its potential to signify primal emotion; emotionally charged portraiture; and, most pivotally, the need to confront the devastating experience of World War I and its aftermath.
Nudes
The naked body and its potential to signify primal emotion was a core Expressionist theme… More »
Portraits
Portraiture underwent a dramatic transformation in the modern era, perhaps most definitively… More »
Nature
Expressionist landscapes extended from a long Romantic tradition that viewed nature as an… More »
City Life
As a result of an intensely rapid period of industrialization in the 19th century, German… More »
Dance & Leisure
Dance—along with the new pleasures of the booming city—was a potent theme for the… More »
Sex
The most basic and primal of human instincts, sex was at the core of many Expressionist works… More »
Primitivism
Expressionists looked outside mainstream European society for inspiration, from far-flung tribal… More »
Fantasy
While fantasy did not play a large role in most Expressionists' work, there were a few artists… More »
Literary Subjects
Modern artists in Germany and Austria frequently embraced literary motifs in their works by illustrating… More »
War
When World War I broke out in August 1914, many Expressionists initially believed it could… More »
Postwar Politics
In November 1918, World War I ended with the military defeat of Germany, and a political… More »
Religion
For the Expressionists, art and religion were closely intertwined, as both involved surrender to an… More »
Death
Death is inevitable. Violent or peaceful, long awaited or sudden, it eventually comes for everyone… More »
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