German Expressionist Woodcuts

Shane Weller

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• eBook ISBN: 9780486134116
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

German Expressionism was an extraordinarily vivid presence in the art of the early twentieth century, its violent colors and often distorted, stylized forms reflecting not only the rebellious spirit of its participants, but the revolutionary mood of the new century itself. One of the most popular media used by the German Expressionists was the woodcut, important in the history of German art from the time of Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), and especially suited to Expressionism's bold graphics.
This superb collection presents over 100 finely reproduced woodcuts from the work of nearly 30 major artists in the movement who worked in the woodcut medium. Among them are Ernst Barlach, Max Beckmann, Lyonel Feininger, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Käthe Kollwitz, Franz Marc, Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, and many others. Most of the woodcuts reproduced here date from the first three decades of the twentieth century. They are powerful works, ranging in mood from Felix Müller's pensive portrait of Carl Sternheim (1925) to Franz Marc's electric Riding School (1913) and Ernst Barlach's profoundly moving Christ on the Mount of Olives (1920).
Readers interested in the art of the woodcut as well as students and enthusiasts of twentieth-century art will find this volume ideal for browsing and study. Individual captions for each selection, notes on each artist, and an informative introduction to the art of the woodcut and the German Expressionist movement add to the book's value as a reference work.

THE ARTISTS

(Unless otherwise noted, the artists are German.)

BARLACH, ERNST (1870–1938; pages 1 & 2). Barlach studied at the academies in Hamburg and Dresden and at the Académie Julian, Paris. His work, especially his wood sculpture and engravings, is strongly influenced by the late German Gothic. Barlach also drew for the famed periodical Simplicissimus. At the time of his death, he had fallen into disfavor with the Nazis, who removed his work from public view.

BECKMANN, MAX (1884–1950; pages 3–5). A member of the Berlin Secession, Beckmann was influenced by Lovis Corinth and Edvard Munch. His experiences in the medical corps during World War I contributed a raw power to his work. He fled the Nazis, settling in New York.

CAMPENDONK, HEINRICH (889–957; pages 6 & 7). In a style that is a fusion of African/Oceanic art, post-Cubism and Expressionism, Campendonk created a unique approach to rustic scenes. He taught at the School of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf, but fled Germany for Holland, where he continued to teach. In his later years he designed fabrics, stained glass and theatrical sets.

FEININGER, LYONEL (American, 1871–1956; pages 8–14). Having left the United States in 1887 to study music in Europe, Feininger redirected his studies to fine art. He became a popular cartoonist, but returned to painting, developing a prismatic style in part influenced by Robert Delaunay. A figure central to the Bauhaus and Der Blaue Reiter, he returned to the United States after the Nazis ...

Table of contents

• DOVER BOOKS ON FINE ART
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• INTRODUCTION
• THE ARTISTS