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


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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 of English translation: 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.

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