Expressionism

The beginning of Expressionism took place in Germany, around the time of the first World War. In 1912, Kirchner became the leader of a group of artists who called themselves "Die Brucke". He and the other artists sought to build a " bridge" between Germany's past and future. They felt that the art of the current establishment was too academic and refined to retain any degree of expression, so they instead found inspiration in medieval German art and primitive African sculpture. Additionally, they would find inspiration in the emotionally expressive works of Vincent Van Gogh and Edvard Munch. Since their primary concern was the expression of deeply felt emotions, they would also transform their negative feelings about the war onto canvas...

Expressionism, an international movement in the visual arts as well as in literature, film, and theater, flourished in Germany between 1905 and 1925. The artists championed idealist values and sought to break free from the traditional restrictions of bourgeois society. They were principally concerned with expressing emotion and inner psychological truth.

The German expressionists conducted prolific experiments in the graphic arts, introducing new techniques, vibrant colors, and disturbing, sometimes controversial subject matter in their prints. Woodcuts provided a way to confirm effects later appearing in their canvases: compositional structure, dramatic contrasts of light and color, the flat picture plane...

Artists of 'Die Brucke': Grouped around eight themes central to the Expressionist movement, it’s an interactive study of the seminal modern movement and contains more than 125 works in over 50 comparative groupings. Designed specifically for the Web in presentation and distribution, it accomplishes it’s goals—to entertain, educate and inspire—beautifully. The prints are brought to life through animation, music, narrated quotes, and large, high-quality images.