Subjectivity: Expressionists often explored the inner psyche and personal experiences, aiming to express the emotional and psychological states of their subjects or themselves.
Distortion: Artists frequently distorted the forms and shapes of objects and figures to evoke a sense of emotional turmoil or intensity.
Bold Colors: Expressionist works often feature vivid and non-naturalistic color schemes, with colors chosen for their emotional impact rather than their accuracy in representing reality.
Exaggeration: Expressionists sometimes exaggerated facial expressions, gestures, and other elements to emphasize the emotional content of their works.
Rejection of Realism: Expressionists typically rejected the realistic representation of the external world in favor of a more subjective and emotionally charged approach.
Social and Political Commentary: In addition to personal expression, Expressionism was often used as a means of commenting on social, political, and cultural issues of the time, especially in literature and theater.
Expressionism had its roots in various artistic movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, and Fauvism. It reached its peak in Germany during the early 20th century and had a significant impact on art, literature, and theater worldwide. Notable figures associated with Expressionism include painters like Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky and Egon Schiele, as well as playwrights like August Strindberg and playwrights and filmmakers like Georg Kaiser and F.W. Murnau.