German Expressionism

The upheaval of World War I shook the world, greatly influencing the artistic movements of the 20th century. In 1905, the new age of German Expressionism began. These artists expressed not only the physical changes in the world but more important the emotional and psychological effects on society. Their works were influenced by the avant-garde trends of the previous generation, the boldly colorful style of the European Post-Impressionists, the fauves, and the abstract flat patterning of Art Nouveau. They emphasized painterly qualities and color over realistic portrayals of impressionism.
As the war drew nearer, more and more Expressionists allowed their emotions to leap onto the canvases, displaying unique ragged outlines, agitated brush strokes, and savage and emotional themes. At the turn of the 20th century, the German Expressionists had rejected the stylistic conventions and subjects of German visual culture. They were not afraid to depict nudes, city life, sex, fantasy, primitivism, war, religion, or death. But at the start of World War One, Expressionists groups, such as Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter, came to an end.
Although German Expressionism had come to an end, the culmination of World War I in 1918, led to the emergence of new art movement, Neue Sachlichkeit. Artists, who had served in the war, used their talents to express their strong emotions about their combat experiences. They wanted to expose the realities of life, moving away from abstract, idealistic, and romantic tendencies of Expressionism to emphasize the ugly. One such artist, Otto Dix, was particularly known for his portrayals of Weimar society in a bitingly sarcastic and satirical way. Portraits were meant to display the inner feelings and psyche issues of the subjects, rather than flattery. In Dix’s Portrait of J.B. Neumann, the founder of the influential Berlin gallery and publishing house is shown in a rather homely manner. Although many other publishers flourished during the early 1920’s, Neumann made small profit off his love of books and art. Dix displays the inner angst on Neumann’s face, rather than idealizing his features.
The Neue Sachlichkeit movement ended in 1933 with fall of Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazi’s to power. That same year, Dix was stripped of his honors and many of his paintings were seized and removed from public display in German Museums. Clearly, the impact of political struggles and constricting societies greatly influence both the art and artist. Expressing the emotional and psychological components of a society seizes truth in its purest form. Thanks to Otto Dix and his contemporaries, the truths of life in the early 20th century were captured with great talent.