Extreme angles, flattened forms, garish colors, and distorted views distinguish Expressionism, an international movement in art, architecture, literature, and performance that flourished between 1905 and 1920, especially in Germany and Austria.

Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas.

They used jagged, distorted lines; rough, rapid brushwork; and jarring colours to depict urban street scenes and other contemporary subjects in crowded, agitated compositions notable for their instability and their emotionally charged atmosphere.

El Lissitzky, Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, 1920. Courtesy Tate

László Moholy-Nagy, A II (Construction A II), 1924. Courtesy Guggenheim

El Lissitzky, Study for “Proun” 8 Stellungen, 1923. Courtesy Guggenheim