Sharp angles, strange forms, lurid colors, and distorted perspectives are classic hallmarks of Expressionism , the twentieth century movement that prioritized emotion over objective reality . Though particularly present in Germany and Austria, the movement's approach flourished internationally and i...

Sharp angles, strange forms, lurid colors, and distorted perspectives are classic hallmarks of Expressionism , the twentieth century movement that prioritized emotion over objective reality . Though particularly present in Germany and Austria, the movement's approach flourished internationally and is today hailed as one of the most influential shifts in art history.

With leading groups ** Die Brücke** (The Bridge) and ** Der Blaue Reiter** (The Blue Rider), and key players such as ** Wassily Kandinsky, Egon Schiele**,and ** Emil Nolde,** the Expressionists disowned 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 as it was felt, rather than seen on the surface. Their paintings brim with emotive force, conveyed in particular through ** intense and non-naturalistic color palettes, loose brushwork, and thick textures.**

Covering the group's stylistic tendencies, influences, and most important protagonists, this introductory book explores the Expressionist panorama of moods, ideas, and emotions and their abiding quest for deep authenticity.