ekspresionizam

Ekspresjonizm, or expressionism, is a modernist movement originating in the early 20th century in German-speaking cities. It arose as a reaction against naturalism and the pressures of modern life, prioritizing subjective inner experience over outward appearance. Artists aimed to depict inner emotions, anxiety, and spiritual crisis through intensified imagery.

Key characteristics include distortion of form, non-naturalistic color, and stark contrasts of light and shadow. Figures are often sculpted into angular, exaggerated shapes to convey emotion and unrest. Themes center on alienation, social critique, and the psychic impact of modernity, war, and urban life. The movement embraced painting, sculpture, theatre, literature, cinema, and architecture.

In painting, Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter groups shaped early development; notable artists include Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, and Emil Nolde. In literature and theatre, expressionist writers and playwrights explored fragmented narrative and intense emotion. In cinema, German Expressionism used stylized sets, lighting, and performance to express mood and fear, with films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu.

Expressionism flourished roughly from 1905 to the early 1920s and left a lasting mark on later movements, influencing surrealism, film, and modern painting. It also spread beyond Germany, including in Polish artistic discourse where ekspresjonizm denotes related tendencies in literature and visual arts during the same period.