Expressionism is an art movement which debuted in the beginning of the XX century in Northern Europe, Germany in particular.
Threatened by the World War that was about to break out, the expressionism in art witnesses a <em>pessimist </em>vision of reality, often presented as disfigured and upsetting with strong <em>visual</em><em>suggestions</em> not only in order to express the artist's own subjective perception of reality but also to provoke in spectators the same emotionalanxiety experienced by the author.
The imagery tends to be colorful and disturbing and it is used in expressionism as a <em>vehicle</em> to reflect and transmit the artist's discomfort and unease.