World War I and its Effects on Expressionist Aesthetic Direction

At the turn of the twentieth century, there was an influx of artists rejecting the traditional academic standards, a process that started out with the Impressionists in the late 19^th century. These artists focused more on depicting the inner essence of their subjects, rather than merely realistically describing their appearance. They also had an interest in non-Western cultures, appropriating their visual language into their primitivist paintings, sculptures, and woodcuts. In France, the Fauves were the most well known of these artists, whereas in Germany, these artists were collectively labeled the Expressionists.

In 1914, World War I broke out. Many artists during that time were drafted into their respective country’s militaries. Some of them would find their end in combat; for the ones that survived the war, their worldview would be changed irreversibly as a result, along with the way they portray those worldviews through their work. 

In this exhibition, we take a look at three of the artists who had experienced the outbreak of World War I, and lived through it to tell their personal tale through the art they made during and after the war. We start with Beckmann, tracing his radical shift in towards a more esoteric subject matter and caricature-like visual style to the trauma he experienced while as a medical orderly. Originally a proponent of the upcoming war, the despair of seeing the dead and wounded lie around him suffocated Beckmann mentally, resulting in his mental breakdown and subsequent discharge from the military. This results in his deformed, claustrophobic compositions in his later works such as The Dream.

After looking at Beckmann, we then turn our attention to the other side of the conflict in World War I—the French artist André Derain. Having also experienced war like Beckmann, how did being among the victorious French instead of one of the defeated Germans affect him differently? Previously known for his wild colors and simplified forms since 1905, did the war cause him to sober up in his aesthetics as seen in his Guitarist, or was the process already underway by the time the war broke out? The answers to these questions will be discussed and revealed. 

Lastly, we look at Pechstein, whose tale of expulsion from his personal paradise, though a direct result of the war, affected him more than his participation in the war itself. In his Bay of Monterosso we can experience the same nostalgia he had for his time at Palau, albeit through a different subject matter. Like many other Expressionists, Pechstein believed that non-Western cultures like the Palauans lacked civility, resulting in them being closer in touch with nature. This is in contrast to the perceived social corruption fueled by consumerism that was happening in the European cities before the war. Having been painted during the war instead of after, Bay of Monterosso also highlights the thought processes Pechstein had in the middle of the war, as compared to an indirect reminiscing after the war has passed. From this we can also see Pechstein’s optimism for a better future for Europe amid the chaos that surrounded him at that time.

From a study of these three artists and their works, it can be seen that there is no one template that fits anyone; each artist has their own takeaway from their unique experiences during the war period. It is my hope that you would also have your own takeaway after viewing this exhibition.