Definition of expressionism Expressionism

/ɪkspɹɛˈʃʌnɪˌzʌm/ - [ikspreshunizum] - ex•pres•sion•ism

We found 5 definitions of expressionism from 4 different sources.

What does expressionism mean?

Noun Plural: expressionisms
expressionism - an art movement early in the 20th century; the artist's subjective expression of inner experiences was emphasized; an inner feeling was expressed through a distorted rendition of reality
		art movement, artistic movement a group of artists who agree on general principles
		neoexpressionism an art movement based on expressionism; developed in 1980s in Europe and United States; crudely drawn garish paintings

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expressionism (Noun)
A movement in the arts in which the artist did not depict objective reality, but rather a subjective expression of their inner experiences.
expressionism (Noun)
A somewhat analogous genre in early 20th century music.

Expressionism is a kind of art. In the true meaning of the word, it is an art movement of the 20th century.

Expressionist artists try to express a feeling with what they create. Colours and shapes are often not used in a way people see them, but as they could "feel" them. Influences on modern expressionism were painters like El Greco and Matthias Grünewald.

Typical modern expressionists are August Macke, Ernst-Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde and others. The first World War, with its many young men who died, left deep impressions on the artists' minds.