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Part I · Art movements · Chapter 11 of 31

Symbolism, Art Nouveau and Expressionism

c. 1880–1920. At the turn of the 20th century, painters turned inward — to dreams, emotion, myth and decoration. Colour and line were freed to express feeling rather than describe the world.

The Scream by Edvard Munch
The Scream, Edvard Munch (1893). Oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard. National Museum, Oslo. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt◎ notes
The Kiss, Gustav Klimt (1907–1908). Oil and gold leaf on canvas. Belvedere, Vienna. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, Gustav Klimt (1907). Oil, silver and gold on canvas. Neue Galerie, New York. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Context

Symbolists and Pre-Raphaelites painted literature, myth and mood. Art Nouveau (Jugendstil in German) brought flowing, organic ornament to posters, buildings and painting.

In Vienna, Gustav Klimt combined realistic faces with flat gold patterns. In Norway, Edvard Munch painted anxiety, love and death with wavy lines and acid colour.

German Expressionists (Die Brücke, Der Blaue Reiter) used distorted forms and intense colour to show inner experience.

Key artists

ArtistLifeKnown for
Elizabeth Siddal1829–1862Pre-Raphaelite poet and artist.
Gustav Klimt1862–1918Gold-leaf portraits: The Kiss.
Edvard Munch1863–1944The Scream.
Wassily Kandinsky1866–1944From The Blue Rider to pure abstraction.
Alphonse Mucha1860–1939Art Nouveau posters.

Key works

Tap any image to zoom; works marked ◎ have notes on key details.

The Blue Rider by Wassily Kandinsky
The Blue Rider, Wassily Kandinsky (1903). Oil on canvas. Foundation E.G. Bührle, Zurich. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Techniques

  • Decorative pattern and flat ornament next to modelled faces.
  • Gold and silver leaf (Klimt).
  • Wavy, rhythmic lines and exaggerated colour (Munch).
  • Symbolic rather than realistic colour.
  • Simplified, distorted forms for emotional effect.

How to paint in this style

  1. Decide on one emotion or idea you want to express.
  2. Simplify the figure into strong shapes; let the outline flow in rhythmic curves.
  3. Choose colours for their emotional effect — not their 'real' colour.
  4. Fill backgrounds with pattern: spirals, rectangles, flowers. Try metallic paint or leaf.
  5. Keep faces and hands more carefully modelled so they stand out against the flat pattern.
Typical palette

Anything goes — strong cadmiums, synthetic ultramarine, emerald, cobalt violet, plus gold leaf or metallic paint.

Watch

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss · Smarthistory

Kandinsky, Improvisation 28 (second version), 1912 · Smarthistory

Munch, The Storm · Smarthistory

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See all Symbolism & modern works in the gallery →