Art History for Kids: Expressionism

Expressionism emerged at the beginning of the 20th century in Germany, Europe. It was one of the most emotionally intense movements of the modernist period. While Impressionism aimed to portray the world outside through fleeting light and colour, Expressionism turned inwards, focussing instead on portraying inner turmoil and emotion.

The Red Horses | Image Source: franzmarc.org Origin of Expressionism The term ‘Expressionism’ was coined in 1910 by Czech art historian Antonin Matějček to describe works that did not reflect the outer world like Impressionism but instead expressed internal states. As World War I shook Europe,