German Expressionist Woodcuts (Dover Fine Art, History of Art)

Product Information

A revival of the art of the woodcut began in Japan in the late 1920s as part of the modern art movement. Onchi Kōshirō and Hiratsuka Un’ichi were early exponents who, though working in different styles, did most for the renaissance of this national art, which thrived once again after World War II. Among the notable woodcut artists of the postwar period are Munakata Shikō and Saitō Kiyoshi. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, this movement was brought to a close as the artworks were condemned. Most of the great leaders of this group were subsequently exiled and were not allowed to reproduce work of this nature. However, the fascination surrounding this movement ended up increasing due to traveling exhibitions that were put on to campaign for their work. In both Europe and East Asia in the early 20th century, some artists began to do the whole process themselves. In Japan, this movement was called sōsaku-hanga ( 創作版画, creative prints), as opposed to shin-hanga ( 新版画, new prints), a movement that retained traditional methods. In the West, many artists used the easier technique of linocut instead. Paret, Peter. An Artist Against the Third Reich: Ernst Barlach, 1933–38. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Landau and Parshall, The Renaissance Print, pp. 179–202; 273–81 & passim; Yale, 1996, ISBN 0-300-06883-2

In Austria, Klimt led the way for artists including Oskar Kokoschkaand Egon Schiele, while in France, Rouault, Soutine, Chagall emerged as leaders of the style. The movement also influenced other media, most notably sculpture and architecture. Much like the Germans, Expressionists in other countries were inevitably affected by the war, with many volunteering for active duty or forced into exile. The Legacy of Expressionism Avila, Theresa (4 May 2014). "El Taller de Gráfica Popular and the Chronicles of Mexican History and Nationalism". Third Text. 28 (3): 311–321. doi: 10.1080/09528822.2014.930578. ISSN 0952-8822. S2CID 145728815. Like Marc, Wassily Kandinsky believed in art’s ability to express the metaphysical realm, and saw color as a key tool in this pursuit. “Color is a power which directly influences the soul,” he wrote in his seminal treatise On the Spiritual in Art (1911), also penned the same year Der Blaue Reiter was established. The text outlines a new approach to artmaking based on the fusion of abstract forms and color symbolism—both, he asserted, had the “power of inner suggestion.” For instance, he thought blue stimulated spirituality, while yellow had the power to disturb. Hung, Chang-Tai (1997). "Two images of Socialism: Woodcuts in Chinese Communist Politics". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 39 (1): 34–60. JSTOR 179238. German Expressionist painters rejected the naturalistic depiction of objective reality, often portraying distorted figures, buildings, and landscapes in a disorienting manner that disregarded the conventions of perspective and proportion. This approach, combined with jagged, stylized shapes and harsh, unnatural colors, were used to convey subjective emotions.Colour [ edit ] Odawara-juku in the 1830s by Hiroshige, from his series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō Don Kornits (2 June 1999). "Alex Proyas – Director, Dark City". eFilmCritic . Retrieved 6 July 2007. Untitled woodcut depicting a flying woman by Friedrich König, c. 1902; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Though the Japanese influence was reflected in many artistic media, including painting, it did lead to a revival of the woodcut in Europe, which had been in danger of extinction as a serious art medium. Most of the artists above, except for Félix Vallotton and Paul Gauguin, in fact used lithography, especially for coloured prints. See below for Japanese influence in illustrations for children's books.

This film existed as another prominent film within German Expressionist Cinema and was directed by Fritz Lang and released in 1927. This is considered one of the most well-known silent films to come out of this era and depicts a society utterly divided by class and wealth. Metropolis tells the story of a dystopian future, where the wealthy ruling class exists in the upper city, and the poor working-class exist below ground. The Bauhaus movement came to a close in 1933, yet its influence, much like German Expressionism, lingered. The movement placed focus on juxtaposing abstract shapes with balanced forms, and its influence can be seen in the modern architecture that we are surrounded by today.However, once the Nazi regime rose to power, Expressionism was labeled as degenerate, as they believed that traditional German art should comply with the norm of classical beauty. Any art that was experimental or innovative in any way was viewed as a threat. His well-known attraction to clowns started as early as 1905 when the artist happened to witness a scene that would mark his vision of life. While out walking one day, the artist came across a "nomad caravan, parked by the roadside". It was a circus, preparing for its next public performance. Rouault's eye fell upon one of the figures: an "old clown sitting in a corner of his caravan in the process of mending his sparkling and gaudy costume". The artist was intrigued by the contrast between the clown's "scintillating" costume and ostensibly happy demeanour, and his private life "of infinite sadness" which he saw reflected in all people: "I saw quite clearly that the 'clown' was me, was us, nearly all of us [...] We are all more or less clowns" he concluded. German silent cinema was arguably far ahead of Hollywood during the same period. [8] Cinema outside Germany benefited both from the emigration of German film makers and from German expressionist developments in style and technique that were apparent on the screen. The new look and techniques impressed other contemporary film makers, artists and cinematographers, and they began to incorporate the new style into their work. He volunteered to join the army during World War One but was later discharged due to a breakdown. In 1933, as the Nazis came into power, his artwork was branded as corrupt, and over 600 of his pieces were either destroyed or sold. Sadly, in 1938, Kirchner committed suicide at the age of 58.

Prior to the development of German Expressionism, traditional German art was influenced by a number of earlier movements. Before the Expression movement began, German artists experimented with styles and techniques found within Romanticism and Naturalism, which led artists to typically depict scenes of nature and the wealthy aristocratic society in their paintings.Steffen, James. "Shadows and Fog". Turner Classic Movies: Film Article . Retrieved 7 February 2017. Self-Portrait with Hand on Forehead, etching by Käthe Kollwitz, 1910; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (more)