Art 102
Expressionist Style
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Characteristics of Expressionism
Some of the Post-Impressionist artists took the style of Impressionism in a new direction. While
the Impressionist painters were formalist and objective in their approach to art, Van Gogh and
Gauguin expanded on the characteristics of the Impressionist style, such as the use of optical
mixing to achieve bright color and the visible brush stroke to engage the viewer and introduce
an emotional and involving element in their artwork. Their art, particularly that of van Gogh, was
the basis of a style called Expressionism.
Expressionist characteristics include the visible brush stroke, unorthodox use of color and the
distortion of form.
•Visible Brush Stroke—Texture, either visual or actual, is agitating. It is also gestural, and
allows us to re-experience the act of creating by following the gestures the artist used when
creating the artwork.
Think, for example, of Starry Night by Van Gogh. Look at the large swirls. Can you envision the
artist applying the paint in a large circular gesture? Do you imagine what it feels like to do this?
Your response becomes almost physical, and that is a characteristic of Expressionism.
The painting is alive with motion. The trees squirm and the linear pattern on the background hills
look like tsunamis or waterfalls.
The Starry Night, 1889
Vincent van Gogh
Art 102
Expressionist Style
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•Unorthodox Use of Color—Yellow sky, purple trees, red grass are unsettling. Unorthodox color
catches our attention and may evoke a mood.
The fiery sky in Scream by Edvard Munch emphasizes the emotion of terror in the painting.
On the other hand you may be drawn to the pink trees and dappled yellow sky of Westminster
Bridge by André Derain. You may find it to be cheerful and charming.
Scream, 1893
Edvard Munch, 1863-1944
Westminster Bridge
André Derain, 1880-1954
•Distortion of form—Images may be elongated, compressed or weirdly shaped to express
emotion.
What emotions do you think Willem De Kooning expressed in Woman IV? What emotions are
evoked in you, as a viewer? What other expressionist characteristics do you see in the painting?
Woman IV
Willem De Kooning
1952/3
All images by permission of ARTstor Art 102
Expressionist Style
Terminology
divisionist technique
optical mixing
visible brush stroke
unorthodox use of color
distortion of form
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