The definition of Expressionism Art is the depiction of either people, landscapes or still life in a manner behyond an academic or realistic manner.  The forms and colors of the particular theme are often not strictly as they are in real life; interpretation by  the colors especially are very different and more imaginativethan they appear to the eye in reality.  The variant colors and shapes are the feelings inspired by the subject matter at the the time the artist is painting it.

Expressonism was a movement in the late 19th century in Germany and France which included such painters as Schmidt-Rotltluff, Kandinsky, Jawlensky, Kirchner and others.  Their figures were very seldom painted in natural flesh colors and as another example  their landscapes included  trees painted of purple, blue or red, seas and mountains of yellow.

I think what could also be included as Expressionism would be the Fauvistic Movement of the early 20th century.  This movement included Matisse, Derain, Braque, and Kandinsk yand Vlaminck.  One of my very favorite pictures is one painted by Matisse titled “Landscape at Collouvre”.  The majority of the painting is painted in the color red.  The house is red, the foreground also and the mountain in the background is similarly red.  There are touches of blue and green but the eye is hit with the brightness of the short strokes of bright red.  To the ear this may sound unappealing but the painting is in some ways as charming as that of a child’s drawing.  Matisse’s other colorful, imaginative and expressive paintings include “Pastorale” and a wooded landscape also called “Laandscape at Collouvre”.  (All in 1905).

EXPRESSIONISTIC PAINTINGS OUTSIDE THE EXPRESSIONISM MOVEMENT

To a certain extent the paintings by Vincent Van Gogh could be classified as very Expressionistic.  For example in some of his landscapes the buildings are not rectangular and are colored yellow and purple and some foregrounds have overlaying strokes of blue. All elements in the painting, including the buildings, have a great amount of movement.

Expressionsism Art in my opinion is a movement which took place in the past but can still be alive in the present and in the future.