A critical view of society: political dimensions in Expressionism

The First World War (1914–1918) was a formative experience for the Expressionist generation of artists as well. Many artists, such as Franz Marc and August Macke, fell victim to it.

Trauma, fear and social disappointments became important themes in their work. During the Weimar Republic, Otto Dix created a series prints that was equally disturbing and radically innovative. In them, he illustrated the horrors of war in a way that had never been seen before.

Käthe Kollwitz is considered the leading representative of socially critical Expressionism. She devoted herself intensively to the theme of suffering – her own son had been killed in the World War. More than any other artist, she succeeded in creating images that can be read as monuments against violence. Ludwig Meidner also captured the shock to the senses in his artwork: his 1914 drawing ‘Street Scene (Revolt)’ shows a city that seems to be exploding from within.