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Towards A Re-Definition Of German Expressionism : Emil Nolde's Woman In A Bright Light And Max Beckmann's The Dream, Lara Nadine Allison

Honors Capstones

German Expressionism is a much more complex and involved movement than it is often considered to be. The movement is often defined in terms of a few typical and concise characteristics. This approach undermines the dynamic and changing nature of the movement as a whole. Characteristics which typically function to define German Expressionism are subjectivity, rebelliousness, expressiveness, and wild distortions. While such characteristics undoubtably reveal certain aspects of the art of the German Expressionists, they cannot alone wholly define the movement. In order to define the movement, one needs to pay particular attention to the historical, political, and social environment …