Expressionismus

Taschen Basic Genre

by Norbert Wolf

During the first two decades of the 20th century, many artists famously experimented with nonrepresentational expression. Taking cues from ideas hinted as by artists such as El Greco, Goya, Van Gogh, and Munch, Expressionists sought to transform reality rather than depict it in any sort of literal fashion. Egon Schiele, Max Beckmann, Paul Klee, and Wassily Kandinsky are among Expressionism's most famous exponents.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Germany, 21st Century

96 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1972

About the author

Norbert Wolf is an art historian and author based in Munich. He has published several books with Prestel, including "Art Nouveau", "Art Deco", "Impressionism", "Spanish Painting", and "The Golden Age of Dutch and Flemish Painting", as well as monographs on Albrecht Dürer and Titian.

Reviews

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a connoisseur of art but I have always been interested in it, especially, painting. One of my favourite activities is visiting museums and art galleries in spite of the fact that I might not always be able to fully appreciate a work of art due to the lack of knowledge. That's why each book on art I have read fills certain knowledge gaps and provides some illuminating insights.
This beautifully illustrated book overviewing the history of Expressionism and analysing twenty-seven artworks of twenty-seven prominent Expressionists is no exception.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfectly fine history of one of those interesting little niches of early 20th century art which you'd usually be hard-pressed to define to someone who'd never seen it. Dube helps you find an easy answer: Expressionism is basically spiritualized Impressionism. It ain't just the form, baby, or the fleeting grasp at a moment in time--it's all about how the hell it makes you feel and you forcing color and shape to its knees to get you just that.
Although the movement comes across as kind of non-cohesive, you get a lot on some artists (Heckel, Klee, Kandinsky), might discover some lesser known ones (Otto Mueller was my new find) and might want more on some you already know about (Schiele, especially, who gets the shaft in the end).
Overall, a nice survey.

[Camilo Cuadros Cárdenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cómo parece ser marca de la casa, una consisa y buena introducción al, en este caso, expresionismo.

[Noah Goats · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Expressionists created some really interesting art. Some of their work is quite beautiful, such as "Market Church in Halle," by Lyonel Feininger and Kandinsky's painting of Saint Ludwig's church. Some of it is incredibly ugly, such as Lovis Corinth's extremely difficult to look at, "The Red Christ." But ugly or beautiful, there is an energy, sometimes even a violence, in the works included in this volume that pull you in.

In this monograph Norbert Wolf takes the reader on a tour of Expressionism. As with all these Taschen books, it's a very high level tour, sketching the broad outlines of what the Expressionists were trying to do while providing an image or two of the most important artists who were part of the movement.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

August Macke and Franz Marc were already two of my favorite painters, but I appreciate this book for introducing me to other Expressionist painters, especially Heinrich Cappendonk and Marianne von Werefkin. The book has chapters on 27 different Expressionist painters from the early 1900s. For most of them it shows only one representative painting, but I Googled the the artists to see a lot more examples, often finding paintings that I liked better than the ones in this book.

[Kelsey Redding]

German expressionism is fascinating. Each painting feels historically significant and drenched in emotion of the pre-ww1 era through the rise of Nazism. Art as protest.

I’ve also come to realize how many art books I have at my finger tips at the library. Art books are so expensive and I can’t believe I didn’t realize this sooner.

[Ly Casnocha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an essential part in the world art history, Expressionism is known for its expressive and intense depiction. Vibrant colors and sharp figures were applied, demonstrating rebellions by the creators. I felt impressed at the intensity and abstraction by some notable works. Although it is not my favorite trend, yet I think Expressionism makes a relatively interesting trend in the world art history. Norbert Wolf compiled the work with cleverness and thereby made it appealing to most audience.

[Paige Costinescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the artists that contributed to expressionism.

[Perry Ruhland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction, although I wish it dipped more into pieces like Red Christ - got to love that "morbid mysticism"

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and beautifully illustrated overview of the German Expressionists.

[Ani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that compiling artists into one thin book and presenting only one or two of their works isn’t really good.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to early/mid 20th century Expressionists with a full page reproduction (sometimes 2) per artist, accompanied by a potted biography and commentary on the painting.

[Ajeje Brazov · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'Espressionismo, movimento artistico (pittorico nello specifico di questo saggio) di inizio Novecento, prende spunto dall'Impressionismo, ma se ne discosta per il fatto che si aveva la necessità di un cambiamento radicale nel concetto di pittura, cioè non più dare ai quadri un aspetto esteriore/reale della natura, ma un'impronta interiore, emotiva, raggiungendo punte fantasiose, oniriche, vicine al Cubismo.
L'espressionismo iniziò nei primi anni del Novecento e venne "troncato" durante la Grande Guerra dove alcuni artisti persero la vita e dove Ernst Ludwig Kirchner scriveva:
"Più di ogni altra cosa mi pesa la guerra e la crescente superficialità. Ho costantemente l'impressione di un sanguinoso carnevale. Si sente che la decisione è nell'aria e che tutto va a catafascio. Ci si agita per lavorare, ma ogni lavoro è vano e tutto viene travolto dalla mediocrità. Noi stessi siamo ora come le cocotte che dipingevo, travolte, destinate a scomparire. Tuttavia cerco sempre di riportare ordine nei miei pensieri e di creare dalla confusione un'immagine del tempo, com'è il mio compito."

Saggio molto interessante, preso dopo aver visto ed apprezzato molto, un po' di film dell'Espressionismo Tedesco: "Metropolis" di Fritz Lang (1927), "Genuine" e "Il gabinetto del dottor Caligari" di Robert Wiene (1920), quest'ultimo ritenuto il manifesto dell'Espressionismo Tedesco nel cinema ed altri.
Quello che non capisco è l'aver allegato molti quadri, ma alcuni a colori (come giusto che sia) ed altri in bianco e nero, dove i colori sono di vitale importanza, io mi chiedo perchè? Comunque siamo nell'era di internet, nel giro di poco tempo si trova tutto.

"Noi partiamo dall'idea che l'artista è costantemente impegnato a raccogliere esperienze in un mondo interiore, oltre alle impressioni che riceve dal mondo esterno, dalla natura. La ricerca di forme artistiche che esprimano la mutua compenetrazione di questi due tipi di esperienze, di forme, che devono essere liberate da ogni elemento accessorio per esprimere solo l'essenziale..."

http://www.wikiart.org/en/artists-by-...

[German Chaparro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitivamente con Taschen uno no se puede equivocar. Este (hermosisimo, impactante?) libro incluye las obras mas representativas de los inicios del expresionismo aleman, especificamente de los grupos Die Brucke y Der Blaue Reiter. Muy sencillo, explicativo y al mismo tiempo muy completo.

[krisna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow so much interesting facts and information - great book!