Style & movement
Expressionism
An artistic movement in which emotion and subjective experience often take precedence over naturalistic representation.
- Category
- Style & movement
- Index letter
- E
Understanding the term
Distorted proportions, energetic marks and intense or sombre colour are often used to make an inner state visible. Expressionism describes both particular historical circles and a broader mode of expression that returns in later art.
When Expressionism is used as a style label, it points to a family of formal qualities and ideas rather than a fixed recipe. Periods and movements overlap, and a single work may draw on several styles.
The label becomes more precise when considered alongside date, composition, colour, materials and historical context. A style can inspire work long after its original period, so appearance alone does not date an object.
Related entries
Continue through the glossary with terms from the same field.