Continuing our
music and art discussion this week, let’s explore the movement known as
Expressionism and look at how it maps itself onto the visual arts as well as
musical composition.
Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1895) is a prime example of
Expressionist artwork. This famous piece depicts a sexless creature in the
midst of a horrific scream, most likely reflecting Munch’s own anxiety toward
the modern age.
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Edvard
Munch, The Scream (1895)
Courtesy of wikimedia.org
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Expressionist
artists work to convey subjective emotions rather than objective scenes in
their art. These emotions are an expression that results from a specific object
or circumstance and are typically characterized by negative qualities including
isolation, tension, stress, and fear. In painting, artists attempt to convey
their Expressionist tendencies by distorting or exaggerating figures and using
pure colors.
Do you enjoy
Expressionist artwork? Do you have a favorite artist or painting from this
period?
