Impressionism vs Expressionism: what is the difference?
Impressionism (c. 1860s – 1880s) and Expressionism (c. 1905 – 1920s) side by side.
The names sound alike, but the two movements look in opposite directions. Impressionism looks outward, recording the impression that light and colour make on the eye. Expressionism looks inward, distorting form and colour to express the artist's feelings.
Side by side
| Impressionism | Expressionism | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | c. 1860s–1880s | c. 1905–1920s |
| Where it began | Paris, France | Germany (Dresden, Munich, Berlin), with roots across Europe |
| Focus | The outside world: light, weather, modern leisure | The inner world: emotion, anxiety, spirituality |
| Colour | Natural, luminous colour | Intense, often clashing, non-naturalistic colour |
| Form | Soft edges dissolved in light | Distorted, angular or exaggerated forms |
| Mood | Generally calm and pleasurable | Often tense, raw or unsettling |
| Typical media | Oil painting, often outdoors | Oil painting and especially woodcut prints |
Impressionism: key characteristics
- Visible, broken brushstrokes
- Capturing fleeting effects of light, weather and atmosphere
- Painting outdoors (en plein air)
- Bright, unmixed colours; shadows painted with colour rather than black
- Modern subjects: cafés, boulevards, leisure, railways and landscapes
Key artists: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, Camille Pissarro. Read the full Impressionism guide →
Expressionism: key characteristics
- Emotion and inner experience over the outside world
- Distorted forms and exaggerated, often clashing colour
- Raw, energetic brushwork and woodcut printmaking
- Anxiety, alienation and modern city life as themes
- Groups such as Die Brücke in Dresden and Der Blaue Reiter in Munich
Key artists: Edvard Munch, Marc Chagall, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Franz Marc. Read the full Expressionism guide →
Frequently asked questions
Is The Scream Impressionist or Expressionist?
Edvard Munch's The Scream (1893) is usually seen as a forerunner of Expressionism, not Impressionism: it distorts the landscape and colour to express a feeling of anxiety.
Did Expressionism come after Impressionism?
Yes. Impressionism flourished from the 1860s to the 1880s; Expressionism emerged around 1905, after Post-Impressionism.