German Expressionism

c. 1905–1925

German Expressionism emphasized emotional intensity and psychological depth. Artists used distortion and bold color to convey inner experience. The movement reflected social tension and anxiety. It influenced later modern art and cinema.

Two Women in the Street

Karl Schmidt Rottluff

1913–1914

Blocky, mask-like faces stride forward, city life seen through Expressionist eyes.

Two Men at a Table

Erich Heckel

1912

Stark figures sit tensely, revealing inner unease through jagged forms.

Self-Portrait

Karl Schmidt Rottluff

1914

A raw, angular face carved in paint, emblematic of Expressionist intensity.

Fate of the Animals

Franz Marc

1913

Fragmented animals in violent color warn of chaos and war.

Church at Murnau

Wassily Kandinsky

1909–1910

A Bavarian church simplified into bold, expressive color shapes.

Horse in a Landscape

Franz Marc

1910

A blue horse stands in a stylized, spiritual landscape of pure color.

Improvisation III

Wassily Kandinsky

1909

Abstract swirls and bursts of color aim for a musical, inner expression.