German Expressionism – During our trip to Munich, we saw German Expressionist works in two museums: the Pinakothek der Moderne, Saals (Rooms) 1 and 2; and Lenbachhaus in the special Blaue Reiter exhibition on the third floor (or what Germans call the second floor). Using your notes, observations, and information from the secondary sources below, write an essay that describes the general characteristics of Expressionist art. Remember, the two most significant characteristics of German Expressionism were bold use of color, and abstract forms of real objects and scenes, often tending to look primitive. Some of the artists you may want to concentrate on are Emil Nolde, Oskar Kokoschka, Wassily Kandinsky, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchener, Franz Marc, Gabriele Münter, Alexej Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, August Macke, and Paul Klee.
Sources to consider for this essay:
Piper, David. The Illustrated History of Art. New York: Crescent Books, 1994. pp 376-387
Getlein, Mark. Gilbert’s Living With Art. 7th edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2005. pp 505-508
Davies, Penelope, et al. Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition. Seventh edition. Vol. 4. The Modern World. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2007. pp 954-962
Ritchie, Andrew C., ed. German Art of the Twentieth Century. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1957. pp 27-70
Roh, Franz. German Art in the 20th Century. Greenwich, Connecticut: New York Graphic Society,