The movement of expressionism

The way art is made today was drastically changed in the late 19th century with the beginning of expressionism. Expressionism is the modernist art movement that shows subjective emotions rather than a still reality. Certain events or emotions are described through pictures that the artist feels captures emotion. Art was changed from portraits and still life to dark colors representing depression and despair.  

The roots of expressionism lie in Germany with artists like Van Gogh and Munch. These artists conveyed many emotions in a single painting through colors and brush strokes. There was then another wave of expressionism in 1905, again in Germany with artists forming a revolt against impressionism. New artists emerged from this revolt and created art that was not made to be beautiful; they created art that expressed feeling.  

Anita Malfatti is known for beginning the expressionism movement in Brazil. Malfatti created art in the early 20th Century, specifically from 1910 to 1914. Malfatti studied art in Berlin where the movement began. She then created many iconic portraits such as A Onda and O Farol. Malfatti continued creating art until she passed away in November of 1964.  

Marc Chagall was an artist known internationally for his contributions to cubism, expressionism and Jewish artistic tradition. Chagall began his studies of art in St. Petersburg and learned from greats like Van Gogh and Caravaggio. He soon moved to Paris where modern art lived. Throughout his life, Chagall took on many roles as a painter, ceramicist and other forms of art aside from expressionism. He spoke of creating his art with a quote that sits with many artists today. “Great art picks up where nature ends.” Two of Chagall’s most well-known works are I and the Village and White Crucifixion. Chagall passed away in 1985, buried in the country where he thrived, France.  

One of the most famous expressionists was Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh is known as the beginning of the expressionism movement and created art in the late 1800s. While Van Gogh created self-portraits and still life, he is most known for his expressionist painting, A Starry Night. Amongst artists, it is said that this painting represents Van Gogh’s aspiration to overcome illness. A peaceful village sits under a dramatic sky, conveying unity in the town as a storm rages on. Van Gogh took a chance when creating the path for future expressionists but was not rewarded. Not a single painting of Van Gogh’s sold while he was living. As expressionism became popular, viewers started to recognize his art as not taboo or embarrassing, but beautiful.