Explore 20th Century Art Movements Quiz

Fauvism emerged in France between 1904–1908 and is defined by its bold, non-naturalistic use of color and expressive brushwork. Influenced by Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Non-Western art, Fauvist artists prioritized emotional intensity over realism.

Die Brücke aimed to “bridge” past traditions with new artistic expressions. Rather than rejecting history, they reinterpreted it to envision a better future, emphasizing emotional truth and social critique.

Ernst Kirchner’s Street, Dresden uses distorted forms and jarring colors to convey urban alienation. The psychological tension mirrors the anxiety found in Expressionist works like The Scream.

Emil Nolde’s Saint Mary of Egypt Among Sinners reflects raw emotion, grotesque figures, and religious themes. His expressive brushwork and non-Western influences align with German Expressionism.

Der Blaue Reiter sought to express inner emotions visually. Artists believed art should evoke spiritual and emotional responses rather than replicate physical reality.

Wassily Kandinsky is considered the first true abstract painter. His work Improvisation 28 emphasized lines and interpretation without representational subject matter.

MARC symbolizes animal suffering and critiques humanity’s brutality. Color symbolism reinforces emotional meaning, aligning with Expressionist moral commentary.

Käthe Kollwitz’s Woman with Dead Child represents universal grief and maternal loss. The sculpture powerfully critiques war and human suffering.

Lehmbruck’s Seated Youth embodies despair and emotional restraint. Its simplicity reflects the psychological toll of World War I on humanity.

Analytic Cubism deconstructed objects into multiple viewpoints, emphasizing structure over color. Influences included Cézanne, African masks, and modern science.

Picasso’s Analytic phase focused on form and fragmentation. His prolific output and personal life deeply influenced his evolving style.

Gertrude Stein was a major patron who hosted salons for modern artists and writers, shaping avant-garde movements in Paris.

Synthetic Cubism reintroduced color and collage, using real materials to construct space and meaning within artworks.

Still Life with Chair Caning broke artistic conventions by incorporating everyday materials and visual humor.

Georges Braque was central to Analytic Cubism, exploring spatial ambiguity and geometric reduction without illusionism.

Futurism originated in Italy and celebrated speed, technology, and modern warfare, reflecting political extremism.

Giacomo Balla captured motion through repetition and fragmentation, as seen in Consideration in Space.

Boccioni’s sculpture expresses movement so intensely that form nearly dissolves, embodying Futurist ideals.

Severini’s war imagery framed conflict as technological progress, reflecting Futurism’s ideological stance.

Dada rejected traditional art, using irony and chaos to protest war, rationalism, and cultural collapse.

The Armory Show introduced European modernism to America, shocking audiences and redefining artistic norms.

ARP emphasized chance in artistic creation, challenging authorship and control in art-making.

Duchamp’s ready-mades redefined art by assigning artistic intent to ordinary objects.

Hannah Höch’s photomontage critiqued politics, gender, and society through Dada satire.

Schwitters’ Merz movement used found objects to create non-objective art from fragments.

RAY represents surprise, humor, and contradiction, bridging Dada and Surrealism.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural explosion of African American art, literature, and music in 1920s New York.