Expressionism is a modernist movement that originated in Northern Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is a style of painting that presents the world from a subjective perspective, and distorts the world to create emotional effects, moods, and ideas. Although expressionism grew out of the Impressionist movement, it continues to be an important part of the art scene today. The work of these artists shows the human experience, and is often deeply personal.

During the early twentieth century, the expressionist movement took center stage. Artists in Germany such as Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, and James Ensor embraced the expressive possibilities of colour and line to convey complex emotional themes. Using the power of colour, these artists celebrated nature with grotesque intensity, breaking away from representational methods. This style of art was also very popular among modern artists, including a certain kind of pop art.

Expressionist artists from Austria and Germany became the most influential in the early twentieth century. They shunned the traditional forms of beauty and instead chose to use exaggerated line and colour. They wanted to give their works greater emotional impact. They were often unrepresentative, but this was their point. And they often used contrasting colours and forms to make their paintings stand out. While a great number of works from this movement are beautiful and well worth viewing, these works do not convey the message of the artist's emotions.