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Abstract

Franz Roh (1890-1965) was an art historian, critic and collage artist who wrote reviews for Das Kunstblatt and other publications in the 1920s. His book Nach Expressionismus – Magischer Realismus: Probleme der neuesten europäischen Malerei [Post-Expressionism – Magical Realism: Questions of Contemporary European Painting] was published in 1925 and remains his best-known work to this day. In it, he examined the artistic styles in European painting since Expressionism. In this excerpt from his book, Roh schematically contrasts the stylistic characteristics of Expressionism with those of the post-Expressionist styles.

Franz Roh, “Post-Expressionist Schema“ (1925)

  • Franz Roh

Source

Expressionism

Post-Expressionism

ecstatic objects

plain objects

many religious themes

few religious themes

the stifled object

the explanatory object

rhythmic

representative

arousing

engrossing

excessive

rather strict, purist

dynamic

static

loud

quiet

summary

sustained

obvious

obvious and enigmatic

close-range image

close- and long-range image

forward moving

also flowing backward

large size

large size and many-columned

monumental

miniature

warm

cool to cold

thick coloration

thin layer of color

roughened

smoothed, dislodged

like uncut stone

like polished metal

work process preserved

work process effaced

leaving traces

pure objectification

expressive deformation of objects

harmonic cleansing of objects

rich in diagonals

rectangular to the frame

often acute-angled

parallel

working against edges of image

fixed within edges of image

primitive

civilized

Source: Franz Roh, “Post-Expressionist Schema” (1925), in The Weimar Republic Sourcebook, edited by Anton Kaes, Martin Jay, and Edward Dimendberg. © 1994 Regents of the University of California. Published by the University of California Press, p. 493. Reprinted with permission of the University of California Press.

Source of original German text: Franz Roh, Nach-Expressionismus – Magischer Realismus: Probleme der neuesten europäischen Malerei. Leipzig: Klinkhardt und Biermann, 1925, p. 119–20.