Expressionism Weimar Culture

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Most everyone knows what was going on in the world of French art in the first half of the 20th century - Fauvism, Cubism, and so forth. But during the same period, German artists created a convention-shattering movement called Expressionism, which informed every aspect of the cultural life of the country. This seminar explores the new trend through the work of the two groups Die Brücke (The Bridge) and Der blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) that came to represent the avant-garde of the time, as well as contemporary architecture, film, and drama. We will then concentrate on exploring the daring, politicized milieu of the post-WWI Weimar Republic (1919-1933), looking at the Bauhaus collective, the Dadaists, and the fascist realism of the Nazi party. The seminar concludes with the terrifying landmark of the 1937 “Degenerate Art” exhibition. There will be a museum field trip to study Expressionist paintings and prints. No knowledge of German is necessary. For more information about this and other courses in the Department of Art and Art History, please visit https://art.georgetown.edu This course is not available to audit.