Independent Expressionists: Lovis Corinth, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Kathe Kollwitz and Ludwig Meidner

I think painting and drawing get really interesting when it comes to Expressionism. Expressionist painters usually don't have anything to do with one another if we're talking about the techniques, materials, and the subject-matters they use (although it seems they all like to make self-portraits). Moreover, sometimes even one single Expressionist artists' different works have no relation at all! (Unlike other painters that stick to the same style and technique their whole career -Monet, T.M.W. Turner, Morandi, etc.) However, the results are fantastic! Expressionists' works can be thrilling, alarming, disturbing, scary, depressing, dismal, blissful, or even carefree.

Corinth's portraits, for example, are somehow disturbing; he paints and draws himself as either a deformed and crazy-like person or as the death's pray.

Corinth's self-portrait

Corinth's self-portrait

Modersohn-Becker's protraits are much more happy and carefree. She seems to have a happy life, she's a satisfied smiling person!

Modersohn-Becker's portrait

Kollwitz's portrait, on the other hand, is quite much more severe and serious. She looks like an old woman that has pretty much figure out life. She looks like a tired, yet powerful woman. She sort of remind me to Cabaret's Fräulein Schneider/Kost when she's singing the unforgettable song 'So What?'. 

Kollwitz's drawings and sculptures are really impressive and REALLY disturbing; they perfectly fit the word 'sublime'

Kollwitz's protrait

(Sara Kestelman as Fräulein Schneider in the 1993 London Revival of Cabaret

-with Alan Cumming as the Emcee-) (One of my favourite revivals)

Meidner's paintings are really social and political, and thus they are kind of alarming, specially when we're seeing those wounded people on 'Revolution' or that city falling down in 'Burning city'.

Meidner''s 'Burning City'